Magazine: BBC INTRODUCING - January 2012

I have to be honest and say that Henry Homesweet has just about gone and created the greatest album imaginable. Enter 5D released on the Antigen label last month really is something incredibly special. Enter 5D makes the impossible easily achievable. Imagine the greatest night of your life with the perfect morning to follow. Enter 5D is the soundtrack to your dreams. Critical Buddha sets us off on our journey into the beautiful unknown where you are safe in the knowledge that everything is going to be more than alright. Evolver gives birth to a landscape of greens and blues and purples and blacks. The big city surrounds us and is lit up to perfection. It could be Tokyo. It could be the futuristic mega-city Metropolis. It could be somewhere else, but it's a sight to behold.

As his pages suggest, Henry Homesweet replaces the DJ decks with Nintendo Gameboy's and delivers Lo-Fi synchronized techno and electro worldwide. Utilizing the hand-held control of Nanoloop music software and the out-dated hardware of forgotten consoles, his live sets are mixed and improvised fresh from the sound-chip's, offering a unique performance everytime, anywhere. Enter 5D lives up to this billing. Each listen is a unique experience. A whole hour of Gameboy induced sound may not appear to be everyone's perfect evening, but there is hard and soft and there are many textures and layers that make up Homesweet's demographic. You can dance to this, you can chill to it. You can have it on in the background. But it's best enjoyed loud and deserves your full attention.

Richard Whiston provides vocals and guitar on a couple of tracks, including Until I Sleep, which is a guaranteed floor filler. Old favourite Toaster has been re-worked and fits in perfectly on an album that is essentially one seamless piece of music, split into 8. Title track Enter 5D is Bach or Mozart for a new generation. Tom Hedley, you are a genius. Anitgen, you are officially cooler than the coolest thing you can think of. What's more, you don't try and be cool.

While Enter 5D's roots could easily be found in space, you could forgive a person for suggesting that the hearts of This Boy Wonders self titled album lie in America. We were privileged enough to be asked along to its launch in Boxford recently. El vino did flow. The village's White Hart pub was packed to the rafters, with many CD's, T-Shirts and even someone's back signed by the band members. I was locked in conversation with lead singer and lyricist Chris's dad. Such was the merriment of the occasion though, Anna decided to place TBW stickers to my face during said conversation. Apologies Nick!

So to the album. It's a self titled record, just as remarkable for the tracks that didn't make the cut as those that did. Recent EP's Frame by Frame and Midnight Writer boasted songs that many would love to have written. As I go now, Phoenix, Heart of the brave. Yet none of them feature on the long player. Instead, 10 new tracks, 4 of which were played live on our Friday night show before the guys headed to the Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of last summer. 

The album has shades of Exile On Main Street along with some riffs and tunes of which Kings of Leon and Oasis would be / would have been proud. As I mentioned, there's something of an American feel throughout, and a nice flow to the songs. Something for everyone perhaps. Come next June is a ballad of ballads. Long Kiss Goodbye is a fine rock song. Side of the Road should be on every radio station's daytime playlist. The band will give the album another launch at the 02 Academy in London on 3 February. I like the fact that they're not afraid to gig outside of Suffolk. We have so many more bands locally that ought to follow in their footsteps. Don't be afraid.

Graeme Mac