According to the press release this single is the product of a "five year, drug-induced nightmare" perhaps suggesting that one would be forgiven for expecting a dirge of self-indulgence and self-pity but that is most certainly not the case.
The track 'Devil In My Shoes' begins with an organ and acoustic guitar led jauntiness not a million miles from the sound of The Coral and its only when the Dylanesque voice of singer Felix emerges ("and she mumbled/ boy, it's a jungle/ in the thicket of your love") that you get a sense of the experiences referred to in the aforementioned press release. It has a grit 'n' spit quality that takes no prisoners, and leaves you in no doubt that this is the real deal.
And, once the band shake off any thoughts of imitating The Coral and take off like a lear jet reaching for the clouds you find yourself flying with them, riding their thundering jet-stream along a familiar, well-travelled but totally enjoyable flight-path.
Ultimately it's the Faces that most strikingly come to mind but Hey Negrita ensure that their sound is big enough to look after itself and has enough of 'today' for it to be fresh and not merely retro for retro's sake.
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Second track 'One Mississippi' is a far more subdued affair but has strengths of its own that have no difficulty in matching those of the previous song. It has a gently insistent, slightly sad, vaguely forsaken melody that glides along, neatly sidestepping the punches of piano that shadow-box through the choruses. The vocals have a world-weary tone but never fall into that afore feared self-pity - a song of escape but one that can barely dare to believe that breaking free is possible. Sweetly played slide-guitar spreads an extra layer of pathos to the recording andthe only complaint could be that it all ends too soon.
Both tracks are from Hey Negrita's album 'We Are Catfish' which, on the strength of the two gems on offer here, is definitely one to watch out for.
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