Cutaways

“Every song is wholly designed to propel the chorus, to chase the pulse and to extract a smile, recalling peppy acts like Cheap Trick and Weezer…the likes of 'New Golden Rules' and 'Race For Grace' are junior classics" - BBC Radio Ulster

"Bass is a powerful thing. Cutaways know this, and from their first note, the bass surges out of the speakers, straight into the faces of the first row, and drags everything along with it in its wake. Cutaways suffer from being easily lumped into the vacuous genre of 'power-pop', but there is so much more to their sound than that. Sure there's hints of Weezer, or Fountains Of Wayne, but there's always something else happening that lifts it out of the ordinary. The guitar playfully slashes away, friendly and violent at the same time, the drums are flamboyant and charismatic in the way Clem Burke's used to be in Blondie, and the keyboards pepper the songs with little melodic nuggets, while the vocal interplay between the three singers keeps everything interesting. Cutaways sound comfortingly familiar, but also strangely different." - AU Magazine

"Cutaways make the finest, freshest indie pop and the b-sides on their recent single would grace a lot of other bands a-sides" - BBC Radio Bristol Uncovered

CUTAWAYS @ BUFFALO BAR - 22/04/09
May 05, 2009, 3 comments
Written by Danny Wadeson

Artist: Cutaways
Venue: Buffalo bar @ Highbury and Islington
Link: www.myspace.com/cutaways

The Buffalo Bar is immediately noticeable upon exiting Highbury Islington tube station; a small staircase as you enter takes you down to the cozy basement bar where you’ll find a Sopranos pinball machine, a small seating section, and tonight, the venue for a mostly unheard-of Dublin band called Cutaways.

.....

And then, Cutaways. Whilst setting up drummer Ryan was seen carrying two large cardboard cutouts (see what they did there..?) of cartoon chicks, a tantalizing precursor to the quirkiness to come. Unassuming, vocalist and guitarist Paul made a brief introduction before launching into ‘Weapon of Choice’, the second track from their soon-to-be-released album ‘Earth and Earthly Things’.

Let’s make no bones about it, Cutaways are special. Charisma positively radiates from the three piece, and their set opener was perfectly calculated. It opens unexpectedly enough, with wobbly synth and bouncy guitar hits paving the way for a drum and bass back drop to the intro vocals. Then, after a few guitar bridges and a quick snare roll, we’re awash in a massive chorus, catchy and climactic. ‘I belong on your doorstep, you belong on my mind’ is squawked a few times, and then again - that chorus! It says much about drummer Ryan that a crescendo so satisfying can come from only a three piece, that it does.

I got the feeling, whilst tapping my feet fervently and nodding my head like a deranged jack-in-the-box, that this band would really benefit from a bigger stage, possibly a bassist, and definitely a bigger, more receptive crowd to draw their most heart-felt performance. This was a headlining act who were tight, modest, great, but most of all who reeked of soon-to-be-tapped potential.

- thefourohfive.com

"Cutaways are a four-piece from Belfast with a grade A indie-pop sensibility. From the off, 'Big Cheer' delivers a glorious slice, a soaring chorus, a snappy tune and stunning beats that reach the parts other bands don't. 'Memories Of Radio' proves this was no fluke, another snazzy song with touches of Snow Patrol in the guitars. But those harmonies win you over again and the handclaps give it an added lift when it needs it. Here we have a band capable of packing more creativity and sizzling excitement into a few minutes than most acts fit into six-minute epics."

Jackie Hayden - Hot Press - Hot Press

Cutaways
Big Cheer/Memories Of Radio

The Cutaways are a four-piece band hailing from Belfast in Northern Ireland, the band play infectious indie pop and in the past have supported the likes of The Brakes.

This two track single showcases the band's superb combination of piano, fuzzy guitars and tasty vocal harmonies. Big Cheer opens with a catchy piano melody before the guitars and percussion join in, quickly followed by the gorgeous vocal harmonies and an upbeat contagious chorus that'll lodge in your head for weeks to come. Memories Of Radio is every bit as memorable, the song has a huge hook, a killer chorus and those ever present vocal harmonies as well as the welcome added bonus of handcalps.

The Cutaways write bubbly, upbeat, infectious songs that are handmade for the radio and catchier than the common cold. If you're a sucker for indie pop you'll love the Cutaways

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

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