Hawkeyes–‘That’s What This Is’ EP

On August 11, 2013

In Reviews

I remember Hawkeyes from back when they used to be called Chickenhawk and they were a spiralling, cacophonic, dirty riff monster – awesome stuff. These days Hawkeyes sound like a far more polished outfit than the Melvins worshiping kids that put out songs like Piglosaur and Kerosene. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up to the individual listener; what’s certain is that Hawkeyes’ progression has brought them considerable success including tours across the U.K, Europe and Japan as well as festival slots at Leeds/Reading, SXSW and Sonisphere.

August the 19th will see the release of a new EP “That’s What This Is”, funded via a Pledgemusic.com drive in which fans not only pre-order the EP but also can follow the recording process with updates and videos uploaded by the band. “That’s What This Is” was written between tours in the November and December of last year and recording started early in the New Year with Andy Hawkins at the production helm, Kev Vanbergen handling the mixing, and Rich Whittaker undertaking the mastering duties – it’s the same setup the band have elected to work with again while recording their new album.

Despite their progress in musicianship, songwriting skills and sound, Hawkeyes still had at least one foot firmly rooted in their Leeds hometown scene and it’s very evident on “That’s What This Is”. The title track jumps straight into the twisting, spiraling riffs and melodies that many Leeds bands specialize in; it’s probably the most aggressive track on the EP. “Never Never, Not Just Now” keeps the pace and features some anthemic (if that’s even a word) vocals, it’s sure to get heads nodding and crowds singing at shows. “Cheap” doesn’t quiet work as well as the other tracks on the EP but “More Than a Million” more than makes up the lost ground and is a fine finisher.

Hawkeyes are worthy of your attention and their hard work, talents and dedication have seen them gain recognition from far and wide in addition to the Leeds faithful. While I still prefer the earlier stuff, it’s nice to see bands progress and do well for themselves; “That’s What This Is” is a fine addition to the Hawkeyes Catalogue 6.8/10.
Ian Weiss