The Dykeenies: Nothing Means Everything
The Dykeenies are five lads from the Glaswegian satellite town of Cumbernauld
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Monday, 17, Sep 2007 10:27
Lavolta, September 17th .
In a nutshell.
Fresh. Pounding. Bouncy. Bloc Party.
What's it all about?
After a year of waiting, The Dykeenies finally get round to releasing their debut album, Nothing Means Everything. Formed in 2005 after a lifetime of knowing each other, the five lads from the Glaswegian satellite town of Cumbernauld have had a stream of high-profile support acts before releasing this, their first full LP.
After high critical acclaim, The Dykeenies have produced an album worthy of the praise they have been receiving. While not completely perfect (very few debut efforts are), Nothing Means Everything is a punchy album that should see fans of bands as diverse as The Killers, Bloc Party and Panic! At The Disco giving it a listen.
Who's it by
"Scotland's biggest and best new band" is how indie bible NME described The Dykeenies last year. After selling out a number of headline shows in their native Scotland over the last two years, the band have found themselves supporting the likes of The Fratellis and Maximo Park on recent nationwide tours. The band is made up of brothers Alan Henderson, Andrew Henderson and Brian Henderson, alongside childhood friends Steven Ramsay and John Kerr.
As an example.
"If it's in your eyes, then it's in your mind/ If it's in your mind, it's in your thoughts/ If it's in your thoughts then it's in your words/In your heart those words will kill me" - Feels Like Sleep
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Very much doubt it. The NME or Q Awards are more likely though; Nothing Means Eeverything is worthy of a best new artist nomination, or something similar.
What the others say
"The music whizzes along in a Killers-like tornado of reprised choruses and energetic shouts, with the plaintive angst underneath picked up by the sinister synths." - List.co.uk
So is it any good?
As a debut album, yes it is. Nothing Means Everything starts out with the punchy The Panic which, before you know that the topic for the song is fear of sexually transmitted diseases, is actually an upbeat start. Knowledge of said information makes a second listen much more serious.
After that start, the album continues with pace and power. Waiting For Go has energy in abundance, new single Stitches is similar to Biffy Clyro's latest work in structure, while Lose Ourselves occasionally verges into new wave synth.
However, Nothing Means Everything has more angst than a Fall Out Boy album which, when the average age of the band is in the mid-20s, is not a good thing. Panic! At The Disco et al can get away with it - they are still in their teens. At times, the album gets too caught up in angst and forgets about the good basis that they have.
Still, as a first effort, it's good. They'll grow up.
7 /10
Richard Fox