I'm never sure what to expect when you have to review a band or artist you have not heard of before. There is always a certain amount of apprehension having heard, and also been part of, many sub standard demos so it is always a nice surprise to hear something that is not a strain to listen to from start to finish, and not wish the song to be over. Sonny Marvello manage this and more on their first single release.
After some searching around I am pretty sure that Sonny Marvello is a real band and not some singer/songwriter with a backing band. Regardless of that, I do like the sound. "Easy Boys" is a good pop song with the spitting lyrical style of Johnny Borrell there for anyone to hear combined with the disco beats of Franz Ferdinand. That aside, the song and the general sound of Sonny Marvello stand up on their own with plenty of originality. There are enough examples of subtlety in these songs to make me think the band are well rehearsed and know their songs well enough to know what they want them to sound like.
"We're All Cruel" is pleasant on the ear until the last 10 seconds when the emphatic end to the song makes you wonder why this uplifting chanting was not introduced much earlier but this again is a well produced tune with a sweet vocal. Not to be picky but I am growing a bit tired of hearing the drumbeat championed by Snow Patrol, The Doves and Coldplay and I think this song deserved better.
All in all though, good stuff from Sonny Marvello.
Available from Metropolicana Records.