Former Toys are a four-piece from Sheffield and formed in early 2005. According to their
Myspace page they sound like 'Being kissed by God with a mouthful of Scotch', which is
possibly the best (although uninformative) band description I've ever heard!
Musically, Former Toys have talent and originality - putting their own spin on modern
rock/indie. The vocals however, are disappointing and for the most part do not fit
the musical style. It would seem that the songs require more varied and melodic vocal
lines, as opposed to the 'talking' verses and repeated phrase choruses.
Tracks three and four ('Pictures On A Screen' and 'Rolling News') stand
out as two really good tracks. Track three has an atmospheric edge to it
with delayed guitars providing the excellent melody. Track four has a
certain quirkyness to it and really gets your foot tapping. It features
the first major appearance of synth, which adds an extra dimension to
the track. The breakdown section towards the end is followed by a brilliant
accelerando to finish this great track in style.
Former Toys have lots of potential, which is evident when listening to
this ten-track CD. However, the band would benefit greatly from a vocal
overhaul, moving in the direction of a more melodic vocal style.
Reviewer: Alch (Nov 2006)
Hmmm... I'd thought I'd give this one a detailed listen as well, to see if I agreed
with Ant's assessment (above). And yes, for the most part, I do. It's arguable that
the band is still in the process of developing its ultimate sound, and that the Demo
gives a snapshot of a work-in-progress rather than the finished item. But either way
it's clear that the music is inventive.
Where I part company with Ant is in my reaction to the vocals, which I find quite intriguing.
'Talking' a verse has a long tradition (witness hip-hop and rap!), but that's not
really what's going on here. Listen to Radiohead's 'Wolf at the Door',
for example, and you'll get a good impression of the style at the opening of Former
Toys' third track, Pictures on a Screen. Ant says he'd prefer things to go
a bit more melodic - but if anything, I'd ask for the vocals to be a little rougher
in places (though I agree that more precise timing could only be beneficial)!
But my obvious advice to A&R-types is to get hold of a copy, and decide for yourselves!