The 'Infinity' EP by 20 Days

Since I'm going to kick this piece off with a reminder of the song "Syd" by My Favourite Things which appeared on the very first ‘Hot Music Live Presents' compilation of all, you are entitled to wonder what on earth that's got to do with a review of the new EP ‘Infinity' by 20 Days.

Well the answer is that the two bands are essentially the same one: John O'Sullivan (guitar & vocals), Simon O'Grady (bass, guitars, piano &  vocals) and Peter Burke on drums, percussion & vocals.

I could name several more groups the three (occasionally with other people in addition (not least Steve Dullaghan (The Primitives) and Martyn Bates of Eyeless in Gaza) but it's quite a lot of names to list. The basic story is the three thirteen year old schoolfriends started playing together in 1978 and are still doing so: not only is that quite some story but the musical rapport built up over so long explains much about the quality of what you hear.

You also need to factor in the fact that the first EP as 20 Days (‘Freefall')  was released in 1985 and this one, also a quartet of songs, is the long awaited follow-up. Their fans must be very patient people.

Like bands such as Gods Toys which emerged in the post-Specials local scene, this trio, under its various names didn't want for any of the ingredients which ought to have led them to being much better known: talent, originality and the support of the likes of Horace Panter, John Rivers and Paul Sampson locally, John Peel, Zigzag & the NME nationally. Unlike Gods Toys though, despite the lack of that final breakthrough, here they are still going & you have to admire their tenacity though deep down it must indicate a real love for what they do & playing together.

I suppose the switching of names (though in fairness this represented changes in sound: My Favourite Things, as "Syd" shows was, were more psychedelic, rather than random whim), rather than random whim) didn't help them exploit all they had going for them but hopefully they can attract a new generation of fans because they simply are really good.

That the new EP is on Alan McGee's Creation Youth label indicates that they've not lost their knack of impressing the right people

You can in fact catch the launch of the EP at The Tin on Thursday (ticket link: https://thetinmusicandarts.org.uk/events/20-days-the-fazeleys/)

So much for the preamble. I ought to tell you that the songs are called "Clarity Falls", "Jump or Fall", "Around The Bay" and "Love X Infinity".

And they are all incredibly good. Yes I guess I'd built them up above so you were expecting me to praise them, but this is all the sorts of things I've been going on about coming together in perfection: talent, love of music and having something to say via the medium of a creative partnership which must be so deeply rooted as to be near instinctive.

Self produced, recorded & engineered by Paul Adkins (Spaceman 3, Spiritualised), mixed by Simon and mastered by Paul Sampson, the sound is curated beautifully: you won't hear too much greater clarity than this: considering the innumerable little moments of magic with which they embellish each tracks, this is just as well.

Where things will get fun is playing the chicken & egg game.  You'll hear so many echoes of other music in these songs but the direction of flow of influence is much harder to detect than in most bands: remember 20 Days have been making critically acclaimed music for years longer than the groups they may remind you of a for a few moments in any given song. You're closer to sources here than you normally get the chance to be.

I'd earnestly recommend to anyone, including members of groups who haven't (knowingly) heard anything by these musicians under any of their appellations or indeed heard of them yet (I think we can forgive younger artists for a low level of awareness of a band who haven't released anything in four decades) to check out the four songs & maybe pop down and see them live. I think there is potential to be inspired as well as entertained. And I'd rather not have to wait as long for any third EP.