Single Review: Cross Wires - Hall of Mirrors

November 19, 2020

Single Review: Cross Wires - Hall of Mirrors

Cross Wires

Creating a new song in a day, recording it and then releasing said single as your first new material in a year is some undertaking and certainly not the done thing in the current musical climate - but that's exactly what East London post punks Cross Wires have done with new single 'Hall of Mirrors'.

The track is part of a selection of tracks that will all be completed in that limited timeframe with a view to being on a new E.P in 2021. Last years album 'A Life Extinct' was intriguing enough to prick up some ears with 6 Music, Radio X and former Black Flag legend Henry Rollins playing tracks from it.

Cross Wires are Jonathan Chapman (Vocals), Peter Muller (Guitar/Vocals), Pete Letch (Bass) and Ian Clarke (Drums) and have been slowly building up a fanbase around London over the last few years with their energetic live shows at the core of their appeal. Having named themselves after a XTC song and gaining comparisons to the likes of Protomartyr and Wire; the band are looking to build on the strides made with their debut album.

The opening guitar sounds on 'Hall of Mirrors' signal that Cross Wires mean business. The riff reminds me of early 2000s flash-in-the-pans Hard Fi; but don't let that put you off. vocals enter sounding like a deflated Elvis Costello; slightly forlorn with some of the enforced existential inevitabilities of the present day. Everything is temporary, I find comfort in that thought is a haunting opening couplet and sets the tone of what is to come throughout the opening verse.

The transition to the chorus is a pleasing one and a much needed change of pace - elevating the track from a sombre and understated opening to something altogether more vibrant. The shift is held together beautifully by a tight-sounding rhythm section and the choppy guitar of Peter Muller - which resembles 'Light Up Gold' era Parquet Courts at it's best.

Every dream I've had for the past month, I've been lost in a Hall of Mirrors is the lyrical lead in the chorus implying a sense of losing track of reality and not knowing a way out. The standout line is ..And there's a fire I can't put out! - delivered with a conviction as if to accentuate the point further. I get a sense of Squeeze's 'Up the Junction' about it - and that's never a bad thing.

Cross Wires have managed to strike a good balance on 'Hall of Mirrors' - especially considering the time taken to record the track. The uncomfortable and claustrophobic opening is balanced with a sharp and catchy chorus that stays with you beyond the first listen. If the band can keep this level of quality control up over a short period of time, then any optical illusions will become in much sharper focus.

Listen to the track and watch he video for 'Hall of Mirrors' below - with further links to the bands social media.