The Haze

Talk of summer festivals, and immediately the names Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and the V Festival spring to mind. Yet on the 3rd August 2008 on the banks of the picturesque Loch Lomond, the festival played host to the Sex Pistols and the Happy Mondays as its headliners. I was there that day, admittedly just for the Sex Pistols who were headlining on the night time, and experienced many a boring, typical indie band that sounded just the same as every other. By the time the Haze came on, I had become impatient, immediately dismissing them as another band. How wrong I was.

They blew me away. A group who played something different with music reminiscent of early Oasis, complimented with a dash of Led Zeppelin, a sprinkle of the Doors and an essence of Kasabian. A band with a real attitude in their music, full of style and presence they played anthems that captured your attention immediately.  

The Haze. Simple Name. Simple ethics. The band state on their website that music has become overwhelmed with technology, and that “for lovers of rock, the old values have become…well, invaluable”.  A fair comment, the band have done their apprenticeship, touring many venues around the country for a number of years. The five-piece from Glasgow, who combine brilliant guitar work, a great voice and a steady beat into addictive anthems, played a variety of festivals last summer including the Wickerman Festival and T in the Park.

Lead singer James Cairns has a distinctive voice that adds a significant dimension to the tracks, whilst guitarists John Paul Hunter and Mark Miller rip through the songs with ferocity, adding intricate guitar work over flowing rhythms. Completing the line up providing the foundations are bassist Ross Duffy and drummer Robert Mitchell.

The band has amassed their current catalogue onto an album, released on the 6th June last summer. 'Spirits are Rising' is a 12-track work of art, encompassing anthems such as Guns and Bullets, Kingdom Blues, Ghost Dancer and Lord. A brilliant record, it starts off with a bang in the form of Ghost Dancer. The track, which begins with tidy guitar work, a smooth flow and the coolness of Cairns, soon dips into a fantastic flurry of heavy guitar as the singer continues to lay down the lyrics with ease. A great track, it only highlights the potential of the Haze.

Another fantastic track on the album is Guns and Bullets, the song that really captured my attention and awoke me from my slumber after a day of pure dross at the Loch Lomond Festival. The track, a real anthem in its own right, can easily be envisaged as one that would have thousands of people jumping up and down at the likes of Glastonbury singing their hearts out. A driving, catchy rhythm accompanied by Cairns chanting lyrics this song is a real cracker. 

As well as numerous tracks that make the listener re-live the good old days of rock, the Haze  have also included a more tender, acoustic track backed by soothing effects and a steady drum beat in the background. The song is sheer beauty; song writing at its best entwined with calm yet emotional music. “Stand up, be strong, time is on your side” assures Cairns, seemingly singing the song with heartfelt feelings.

This band will become bigger, better and well, more known.  Ever since that first encounter with them at Loch Lomond, I have been mesmerised by their fantastic music. How they are not already a dominant force in modern rock is a mystery, but I cannot emphasise enough just how good this band are. The best advice I can give? Go out, buy their record and only then can you see how good this band are. No review can do them justice.

Words: Alex Read

Write a comment

Name:
Email:
Subject:
Comment: *

Security Code: