Witch Hunt are a Leeds based, two piece alt-rock band with a massive sound that belies their modest two guitar and vocal set up. With influences such as Thom Yorke, Portishead and Warpaint, coincidentally some of my favourite artists, the result is an impressive output of atmospheric rock, capable of more restrained and darker songs such as 'Crawl', as well as far more ballsy and rockier tracks such as 'Chairman'. The band first caught my attention as I was trawling through the depths of the 'Live at Leeds' lineup; a festival I was gutted to miss on account of bands such Witch Hunt, Savages, Peace and Everything Everything.
For fans of:
Daughter // The White Stripes // Anna Calvi // Warpaint
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Crawl' is a real gem of a track and also the one that I heard first and caught my attention. The guitar-work is intricate and the tone is wonderfully atmospheric and shimmering. The atmosphere of the song is also brilliant, it's spacious, rich and not completely overwashed by reverb (a tool bands like Foals often rely a little too heavily on) showing this song is also very well produced and also proving that rock bands do not need to rely on drums for a great track. Then of course there is the vocals; the lead singer Louisa has a real belter of a voice and this tracks allows it to reach its full potential, allowing her to hang on notes, complementing the vast echo of the track. The lyrics similarly are wonderfully dark and complementary to the feel of the track, also remaining the right side of relatable and compelling without straying into cliche territory.
9/10
'
Chairman' is a slightly different beast, this track dominated by drums and a killer riff. The drums are very interesting and a little unorthodox on this track (putting me in mind of '
Stepson' by Foals) showing this is more than your average rock track. The dual guitars taking high and lower pitches provide solid riffs throughout, but these along with several subtle alterations to the riffs, song structure and fading in and out of drums in this song, do more than enough to lift it far away from mundanity and keep it interesting - a skill that has often become the trademark of bands such as Radiohead and certainly a welcome addition to this track. The vocals here are also different, slightly lower and grittier but just as capable of delivering a raw punch of volume and emotion into the lyrics.
8/10
The band are also playing live at the following dates:
08/07 Cockpit - Leeds - Future Sound Competition
* - Tickets
13/07 DV8 Festival - York
21/07 Tramlines Festival - Sheffield
27/07 Fell Foot Sound Festival - The Lake District
* Here the band will be playing for a place to play Reading and Leeds Festivals, go along and support!
Website // Facebook // Soundcloud // Youtube
Contact: wearethewitchhunt@hotmail.co.uk
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