VELVET HANDS, THE - The Party'S Over (Sealed) (CD)

The Velvet Hands (Toby Mitchell, Dan Able, Louis Willbourne and Sam Hilder) blend slacker story-telling and belting guitar riffs reminiscent of The Strokes or contemporaries such as The Vaccines, with rousing punk choruses that recall The Clash. Whilst onstage their raucous high energy live sets and swagger has seen the tussling front-men Able and Mitchell likened to The Libertines. Live as on record The Velvet Hands embody the pure unbridled essence of rock `n' rock. Musically with their punchy riff laden tracks, but also in their ability to encapsulate lyrically the feelings of their young generation. From the disillusion of punk opener Sick of Living ("You're 16 and your life is a sham, sick of living, yes I am") to the universal tales of toxic relationships and navigating romance with low self-esteem on Games and Only Blame Myself respectively, through to the tracks such as Curtains Closed, a slower reflective song of self-doubt and isolation with a contemplative song-writing that belies the band's young age. Still barely out of their teens, The Velvet Hands are now a focal point of London's underground guitar scene.