Four Day Hombre - The First Word is the Hardest Single Review

Four Day Hombre
The First Word is the Hardest
Alamo Music 13/02/06
Single Review

"The First Word is the Hardest" is Four Day Hombre's second release from forthcoming album "Experiments In Living", and with the fuss previous single "1000 Bulbs" provoked (it was XFM's single of the week twice), "The First Word…" has a lot to live up to. Any doubts, though, that this was gonna be a one-off thing is quickly blown away by this latest offering. Its soaring, beautiful, almost fragile, and yet at the same time has a dirty great load of balls behind it, the kind that Keane would sell their grandmothers for.
A gorgeous whispering Simon Wainwright vocal over an atmospheric guitar/keyboard backdrop is spine-tingling enough, but when kicked into gear with a brilliantly off-kilter drum track, the song builds into a euphoric feedback-laden climax worthy of a spot on any Radiohead or Coldplay album, before swooping out as quiet and understated as it arrived. Just like a beautiful sonic ninja. Its just that impressive. If this song doesn't convince you that FDH are your new favourite band, nothing will. Buy it. Right now.

Sam Richardson