Twightlight Robin

Ones to Watch

Attention to a band is easily grabbed when the whole venue is screaming back their lyrics with every last gasp of emotion. Regularly breeding sweaty swaying crowds by ramming many of Manchester's prestigious live venues such as The Academy, Jabez Clegg, and the Night and Day Café, it is the Swan with Two Necks in Macclesfield that holds their torch and is where twilightrobin's story began. Just over a year into the life this Manchester based quartet the robins are storming on all cylinders.

Every breath that these guys draw is done with charged enthusiasm and then exhaled with a thud-pumping passionate energy. Twirling and spinning emphatically, bassist, Ben Wiltshire, sees his seamless finger-work and raises it with a vocal range that would rival Freddy Mercury. The boy with a big heart has said he gets as much of a kick out of playing to a few hundred devotees as he does when twilightrobin run their outreaching school workshops. Hard work is synonymous with this band. Topless Olly, beating down on the skins is a clear definition of what this all means to them. Set against a metronome it is the pendulum's timing that would be in question. Delivered with a beaming grin his skill is as tight as a Camden fashion victim's trousers and as sharp as the accompanying shoes! Spitting out catchy syth hooks, soulful Hammond hair raisers, and priceless keyed melodies is the odd shoed Scot, Calum. Guitarist and frontman, Ben Ballon, is like the worker bee, pollinating the whole act with a bountiful buzz and endless stamina. You know that as a result of his efforts the world around is that bit more beautiful. The drama of Queen is infused deep within an Indie Rock style greased with punchy pop and a dark paranoia from this all singing quartet. Unsurprisingly they have found the fancy of XFM, ALL FM, Danny McNamara (Embrace), and Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets) to name a few – Watch out! It won't be too long before they find yours!

Words: Ray Seraph
Photograph: Ian Taylor

www.myspace.com/twilightrobin