Ninja Pigeon are a Cardiff based quartet composed of two Welshmen and two Englishmen. Knowing the history of these two countries, a combination like this can be volatile. However, with these fellows, it seems to work in their favour. The harmony of the band members comes through in their music and it is easy to tell these guys are all very good friends as well as comfortable with their instruments.

The first song on the demo is ‘Fire and Blood’, which starts in with a vocal echo. The instruments follow and the song takes a very oceanic feel. The guitar and effects flow together to create an image of deep blue waves that instantly opens the listener up to take in the music. The lyrics and vocals crafted by Rob Sayers are heartfelt and well produced, and compliment the instruments with ease. On the other hand, the bass and drums create a very danceable undercurrent and jazz up the melodies. Math Jones’ bass line during the melodic breaks is refreshingly original. He carries his own melody while still managing to compliment Sayers’ vocal melody. The boys liking of breaks and beats comes out in this song, as well as their reggae roots, though I would not label this song either. If this song were to have a music video, it would probably feature surfers on the Hawaiian North Shore conquering that wave they have been dreaming of with all the passion of Sayers’ poetic lyrics.

‘Time Apart’ follows, and opens with a drum machine break that instantly starts the listener’s feet tapping. The instruments surge in and again the aquatic feel is there. Sayers’ voice is stronger in this one, and the instruments features radical melodic and beat changes that keep the listener’s attention. His lyrics are once again very deep and really impress upon the listener his pain of being separated from his lover. The music reflects his desperation in the chorus, becoming gritty and distorted. While during the verses, the lyrics show his internal longing for his love; synth orchestras and guitar reinforce his thoughts. The guitarist, Bangsy, interchanges funky strums with melodic plucks in just the right places to pick the mood up and down. Bassist Jones and drummer Tommy Black make an incredible team placing their melodies and beats in just the right places, and not overdoing it. Black puts his beats in places that really make the listener feel the music, instead of just listening to it. Their complex simplicity makes the song danceable and holds everything together. The end is well composed and brings the listener gently down from the intensity of the emotional charge of the song.
Lyrics like ‘I'm dying without you/well just give me love/cos you are the only way out’ (Time Apart) and ‘don’t be afraid of tears that fall/they only make you stronger’ (Fire and Blood) draw the listener in and make them feel exactly the way the lyricist does. The music flows and entraps the listener in its melodies. Ninja Pigeon’s talent seeps out in how they play and compliments as well as individualizes their own respective parts. If these two songs are anything to go by, their whole album could be an album of hits. I can easily see this band having a strong live show and an amazing stage presence and charisma with the audience.

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