Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
We all know an Attention Seeker, that one person’s hold on a group of friends or family which causes much discussion or heated debate, it may be just be down to the feeling of being ignored, or perhaps having many things to say, of being overburdened with ideas and thoughts to the point where the words cannot be contained. What might be perceived as Attention Seeking is perhaps arguably the sense of relief, of the punk ideal joining forces with the cabaret and the vaudeville in a combined theatrical performance which has the ability to hook you in right from the very start.
Felix Hagan & The Family have that precious knack, that reeling in of the musical muscle, no matter how much it fights and struggles, snapping in unison to the sound like a 7,00 pound shark on the end of a fishing line, and it is one that on the single heralds the arrival of their debut album with great pleasure.
The Attention Seeker can be one of two things, the lonely wolf herder who seeks solace from the kind word of others or more certainly the one who has the gift of being able to turn a tune into art; normally one that catches the light in the darkened gallery, the one with the rough neck security guards who can be persuaded by the artist to let them pass and who takes the followers through the club door. Once inside they know the party is theirs to own and it is through the imagery of this single from the forthcoming album of the same name that Felix Hagan & The Family excel and conquer before them.
An oncoming storm needs no introduction, so neither does this piece by the band, it is a powerful reminder of what once lay in the realm of the single, the hook of intrigue, the awareness of concentration in the listener, and the beast of a vaudeville made good.
Felix Hagan & The Family debut album, Attention Seeker, is released on November 24th.
Ian D. Hall