On paper, a split single release from John Knox Sex Club and Over The Wall doesn’t really make sense. The former are known for producing epic, soaring, gritty tracks and the latter are a duo known more for laid back electro-pop, it really does sound like a marriage made in hell. On their own, the two of these bands are brilliant, and surprisingly, on the same single, they work as a unit.
The split single itself is symbolic of the togetherness and comradeship in the Scottish music industry and demonstrates that being poles apart musically doesn’t stop collaboration within the scene.
The first single is John Knox Sex Club with Animals. A track that, at just shy of 4 minutes, falls short of the bands usual ‘epic’ length however it packs the same punch. The jittering guitars and off beat drums are reminiscent of Mars Volta, with what seems like organized chaos lurking behind singer Sean Cummings’ dark, menacing vocal. The addition of an eerie violin to this track was a stroke of genius, as its spooky pitch mirrors that of the vocals, rounding off the unhinged sound of the track. After taking a 12-month hiatus, this is a welcomed return for the band.
The other single Tell Her I Love Her by Over The Wall is just as good, in an entirely different way. In complete contrast, the track can only be described as upbeat, fun pop, and its bloody good pop at that. A mixture of electro-pop, gentle guitars and sorrowful lyrics means that it’s impossible not to tap along and forget about all the evil in world if only for five and a half minutes.
Both these bands have been off the radar in the last months and this joint return is an exciting look into what we can expect from them in the near future.
- Stuart Thompson
John Knox Sex Club / Over The Wall - Animals / Tell Her I Love Her is out now on Gerry Loves Records. Buy the split 7" or download here.
