Sixteen Layers
Science & Love
Angela Macari O’Looney
Sixteen Layers are Niall Donnelly, John Colbert, Tim McGrath and Esa Tamponen. I love their sound, which combines superb guitars in every song, with passionate vocals surrounded by harmony throughout.
Together since 2006, they have performed their own shows in venues such as The Mezz, Radio City and The Button Factory and also toured with Paddy Casey.
This new four track CD is the latest in their repertoire and is as thrilling as its predecessors!
It begins with Science, which is an upbeat number, with a choppy start. Staccato guitars take you into the verse, with a gradual build up of dynamic. I love the seductive bass riff in the verse. Backing vocals provide a vibrant curtain of volume. The chorus is blasted out and a total contrast to the first section of this song. Niall Donnelly goes from clear, cool vocals, to open up into a dramatic change for his crazy rock singer’s voice. This guy is a master at this style changing! A short but sweet lead solo features and an amazing middle eight, with distortion laden guitar and lots of space aged synth injected too.
At the end of the track there’s an unexpected finale performed by a Brass section, bringing the song to its conclusion.
Sing with your eyes shut
A typical example of Donnelly’s ability to go from Jekyll to Hyde, this number begins as a soft ballad with a trickling guitar intro, exploding into a dramatic and powerful, yet slow rock song.
Harmony is excellent filtered in at poignant moments. A riveting lead guitar solo features here, with some superbly magical riffs performed during the song. Wonderful guitar goes on throughout the number, altering from the soulful trickle to the elaborate and mind boggling lead solo, a treat that most of the band’s songs promise.
The mood is dour in the lyrics and this is transferred to the melody, which is charged with a sense of bitter frustration.
(This Skin) Laminate
An absolutely unforgettable experience, this song is fast moving, with a memorable chorus, delivered with Niall Donnelly’s unique and appealing style. Beginning with a delicious guitar riff, things build up from the verse to a crescendo of sound for the chorus.
Close harmony in the chorus adds to the overall impact of this number. I particularly love Niall’s middle eight, where he totally roars out LAMINATE at a deafening level. Wow!
Run with me (Black Ties)
The best till last, this track begins with a wowser of a guitar riff, which continues to pop in here and there during the song. Note bending, all guitars coming together in sync, and a sexy use of distortion, along with an outstanding chorus complete with harmony, it’s probably one of their best songs yet!
Blasts of chords are played as Niall sings the cheeky verse, to build up to the catchy and addictive chorus Run with me. He also sings the mid eight, which is a tendency in Sixteen Layers numbers. This is the special ingredient as far as I’m concerned and in this case, you find yourself singing it with Niall Stop telling me lies, quit hiding behind black ties and black lies, stop telling me lies.
It’s exciting and it’s an adrenaline rush that comes to a dramatic stop. Amazing stuff!
Sixteen Layers, described by some as an unstoppable juggernaut of sound, are one band that have kept their own signature and always guarantee polish, top class musical content and arrangements. They can provide the quality of a live experience, even if you are just sitting in traffic with their latest CD playing on the stereo.
