Harrys Gym - Harrys Gym

The golden rule of making music: If you are going to try being ambitious, try your absolute hardest. Norwegian quartet Harrys Gym have undoubtedly heard this at some point in their career. It would have been wise if they had taken the advice.

Unfortunately, though, the stubborn Scandinavians have gone about things their own distinctive way - with decidedly mixed results. While its opening trio (the wonderfully woozy ‘Top of the Hill’; ‘Brother’, which finds the band doing their best Mew impression; and ‘Attic’) show promise, much of the rest of the album drifts by without much in the way of a decent hook.

It could be argued that there is a sort of beauty to this record, and, yes, it must be admitted that there are some really good moments on here. It’s just a shame that most of them come during the record’s first half; its second, bar the propulsive ‘The Escape’, is bereft of them. Even when the band opt for more of a synth-driven approach, as on closer ‘Sarah83’, it comes across as half-baked.

Harrys Gym certainly have potential, and they’re trying, alright. Just not hard enough.