You might be excused for not knowing Cut Off Your Hands. In fairness from looking at the cover of this single it appears that the name is in fact the song title. A little background then, for indulgence sake. These guys originate from Auckland, New Zealand and were formed in 2006. You’d certainly be excused for not knowing that; not many bands manage to make it these parts from down under, and those are usually of the very highest standard. The band are releasing their debut album, ‘You & I’ later this year, for the time being ‘Exceptations’ is the single which will tie everything over.

This is the sort of song which comes right at you out of nowhere. A crash symbol kicks the cocktail into life and there’s an instant drive and urgency to the bassline which gets you listening straight away. The shouty, reverb heavy vocals add to that blend and right away this song has an appeal which so many never quite reach. With an “oh-oh, oh-oh” leading into an unashamedly big chorus it’s not long before they fully draw you in. When that chorus comes back after an off-kilter bridge section you’re already singing along. At this point it’s worth noting that it did take a few listens to really get along with this song and appreciate it for what it truly represents. ‘Expectations’ is an aptly named single, they’ve set themselves up for something big. Watch this space.