To be honest, I don’t know but it’s going to be soon as it is one of the singles featured in this week’s NME (13 May). And fair play to the printed press on this one as they’ve been very complementary about it. “Another beauty drawn from last year’s flawless tapestry of an album” said Tony Naylor (as an aside, also in this week’s issue they gave Sol Seppy’s album The Bells Of 1 2 only 6/10; come on, surely better than The Drips?).

Anyway at the risk of repetition, the album The Eighteenth Day Of May is flawless and ‘Hide + Seek’ is definitely one of the stand-out tracks. But Tony, you don’t need a maypole to dance to this. Check out those Flying Burrito harmonies, as irresistible as Jimmy McGriff.

‘Mary Anne’ is on the b-side (so to speak). Brice takes the lead vocals and it has a country waltz about it with mandolin, Dylan-style harmonica and a touch of classical training. It certainly wouldn’t have been out of place if it had been included on the “flawless” album.

They’ll be live at Hanbury Ballroom in Brighton on the eighteenth day of May as part of the Great Escape Festival; sounds like a mini South By South West (see links below). And talking of live, there’s a version of ‘Hide + Seek’ recorded in Scotland on their main web site but the quality is very poor, so you’ll have to buy the CD. Shove it in your CD/iPOD/whatever and get it on repeat play, brilliant. Can’t wait to see them again.

Reviewed: Eighteenth Day Of May - Hide + Seek (Hannibal) Cat. No. HNCDS 1523
Tracklisting
Hide + Seek (3:04)
Mary Anne (4:13)

Links:
www.theeighteenthdayofmay.com
www.myspace.com/theeighteenthdayofmay
The Great Escape - 18th - 20th May www.escapegreat.com/news
“Barfly - The Great Escape is an international live music event; by day, a series of insightful interviews with leading figures from the worldwide music industry; by night, a festival of export-ready artists from across the globe performing at 10 walk-able venues, all underpinned by a comprehensive digital strategy and widespread coverage from media partners.”
Sunday 23/05/06 The Eighteenth Day Of May, Howie Beck @ The Joiners, Southampton on www.gigwise.com
www.nme.com