The Hummingbirds, E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The sheer magnetism that runs through The Hummingbirds, whether in their live sets which sets the pulses racing as if being hooked up to the national grid or in the studio recordings which just seem to get better and better, certainly marks them out as being part of the new breed, the surging confidence in music from Merseyside.

Their latest self-titled E.P. release epitomizes this and once more the band has come up with a set of music which has been strung together in timeless fashion and made to resemble a piece of work that gets pawed at, eyes glowing with anticipation as the prospect of each song coming through the speakers is nothing short of tantalising.

Even though the E.P. kicks off with a track that has featured heavily on a previous recording, it nonetheless grabs the attention of the fans and casual listener alike and with that track being the enjoyable and superbly delivered Emma, the re-introduction to this track is more than welcome, it is something that should be heartily encouraged for the band to play at every live set they perform.

For anybody who has caught the band in the last year, whether on one of their well-received tour- slots, which included a night in Southport supporting The Christians and gave perhaps one of the most outstanding live performances of their career so far, the sound they are creating is unbelievably good. With Jay Davies, Matty Brougham, Mic Kountis, the superb Richard Smith making a natural progression to the fuller drum sound, Ryan Lewis and Craig Heedern, this is a band whose quality of music on the E.P. pushes them even further towards their ultimate goal of being one of the groups who will still be being talked about with pride in the area five, ten and even 20 years down the line.

With the ambient beauty of Out Of The Rain, Stop Me Feeling Blue, the superb Talking Of Tomorrow and Bankrupt Blues all playing their part in this keenly observed E.P., the quest, the ambition of reaching their ultimate target in life is not just achievable, it is one that should be relished by music lovers everywhere.

Ian D. Hall