Good god, you could just inject this kind of rock straight into your veins for an instant shuddering high. That’s what Sign’s LP feels like. Fronted by the enigmatic Zolberg, the only 19-year-old guitar prodigy around, the Icelandic power quartet simply demand attention with their G ‘n’ R/Glitterati type brand of hard rock, complete with spindly threads of sadness, sex, hope, wonder, and an obvious love for what they do.
Less knowledgeable beings could mistake their music for dumb teenage din, but there’s a lot of intelligence and worldly wisdom behind this LP, as opposed to the naivety that tends to cut through and ruin much of today’s youth rock. On top of this, they are breathtakingly dexterous with their instruments, making the most of the power of the harmony, vocally as well as instrumentally.
The title track of this LP stands out as the most epic, heroic song, stretching Zolberg’s vocal talents to the limit, atop a heavy backdrop of thick, sticky-sweet rock. Opener ‘Lift Me Up’ is similarly grand; a taste of things to come. I simply cannot fault this. And it seems they’re going down well in England without my adoration, having sold out the London Barfly back in February (their first visit to the UK), thanks to the omnipotent force that is MySpace. The band is currently in the throes of a very busy schedule, so I would recommend keeping an eye on them for their next visit to our fair shores.
Trust me, they fucking RAWK. And a little something for the girls… Zolberg is VERY pretty!
www.myspace.com/sign
www.sign.is