Sixteen Floors Above – ‘Elevator Music’

Sixteen Floors Above – Hertfordshire/Essex, England, United Kingdom.

Sometimes, it’s nice to simply sit and listen to some Rock music. Diverse and natural sounding Rock music at that.

In recent conversations with the band, it came to light that this three-track release is a compilation of sorts, in an effort to reflect on what came before. Confused? Well, what I’m trying (and failing) to say, is that said release has been compiled of recordings penned in the initial stages of the band’s existence.

The words, ‘Post-Rock’ and ‘more Alternative’, were thrown around a lot in these conversations, with regard to the prospective material, and that’s pretty exciting to me if I’m honest. It’s also an admirable and ambitious move by the band. And FYI, the band’s current sound sits somewhere between Alternative Rock and riff-laden Hard Rock, so let’s have a listen, and discuss, shall we?

Move over Black Stone Cherry, Sixteen Floors Above is a band that just happen to be situated, ‘[…]sixteen floors above the ground, where the party can be found, Punks and rockers gather round, it doesn’t matter what you wear, black or white – nobody cares – Music in its natural dose, it’s the songs that bring us close’.

You could argue that the above lyric is a bit cliché and that’s fair enough. Personally though, with the way it combines with the accompanying musical backing, it really bloody works.

When it comes to track one,’The Sound’, it’s hard to sit still. And the difficulty only increases when trying not to gyrate your neck and shoulders uncontrollably on the way to work without looking like you are having some sort of Hard-Rock-induced seizure.

‘Not For Me’ may as well be taking us back to 1977 with its old-school Punk-Rock intro. It’s a nice contrast to the last track, and just about seems like the same band, enough anyway.

Vocally, as well as within the melodic nature of the guitar work, a more Alternative Rock gloss is applied, but not without a further “second coat” of bluesy gloss atop that.

Time for a ballad then?

It’s a little intense is this one. The vocals are strong and desperate, the guitar high-pitched and delicate and the bass sombre and droning. In short, it’s intense, but makes for a great slow jam.

Any bad aspects about this EP? No, not really. Sure, the recording could be marginally better in places, but that’s never too much of problem if the music is good. Which – if you haven’t guess – it is by the way.

Sound like something you’d like? Are your ears pricked? Is your interest… interested? Follow the direct links below:

• Facebook and Twitter are your social media portals to the band.
• And Sixteen Floors Above have a bandcamp, where this EP is lovingly left for you in the “FREE/Name Your Price” bracket.

One final thing before I leave you to it, Sixteen Floors Above wish to thank a man by the name of Anthony Heapy of Hunter Recording Studio in Essex. Not only did Anthony record the EP for the band, but also allotted them rehearsal time and has generally been behind them all the way. Nice One mate.

Find Hunter Recording Studio on Facebook.

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