A promising new band from Hong Kong
There's something almost too earnest about this indie folk-pop sextet from Hong Kong, but as folk music and its image enjoy a revival worldwide, it works to their advantage.
The multicultural band, whose members hail from Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Britain, formed in stages around keyboardist Gideon So and singer-songwriter Joshua Wong. So and Wong made up Noughts and Exes' first incarnation, but relaunched as a group of six in 2010 with second album The Start of Us.
"The first album was a lot of big sound," explains Wong. "At the time I was listening to a lot of Radiohead." But with the current lineup including electric cello, melodica and glockenspiel, the music now comes in delicate tapestries rather than colossal slabs. "We wanted the instruments to dance around each other, instead of layering on top of each other," says Wong. The result is an exquisite album reminiscent of Elliott Smith and Damien Rice, with subtle shades of Arcade Fire.
Although Noughts and Exes have their sights set beyond the city, they are fiercely proud of Hong Kong's independent music scene. "It is on the cusp of something dynamic and exciting," Wong says. "We're like the ugly kid at the back of the bus who suddenly everyone thinks is popular."
Samantha Kuok Leese - Time Magazine
Website: http://www.noughtsandexes.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/noughtsandexes
artist: Noughts and Exes
title: The Start Of Us
type: album
release date: 2010
length: 51:12
genre: indie folk-pop
country: China
format: flac
tracklist
01 the crime
02 everything
03 a time for love
04 the start of us
05 the war
06 cellophane smiles
07 secret track
08 second best
09 the madness I make
10 death of the foxtrot
11 surrounded
12 chasing lights