REVIEWS

" It was the felt-tipped band pic on the front that did it. Not sure now actually, all such a rush: the Specials/Slits influence, the cute, unassuming cover letter… in fact, it'd be safe to say this Huddersfield duo had me swooning like a twat before I'd even heard them. You have to understand - from this side of the stereo, they seemed a gorgeously eccentric proposition: imagine seven reggae-flavoured, lo-fi, female love-songs, with a pinch of bitter urban commentary. So it goes, a blind date with The Moot: 'Hide' was great, a blissful rhythm workout performed with tender, sparkling optimism. On the flipside, 'Walk Home,' the bleakest of bass-heavy ballads, gritty as teabag-brown council-bricks. Like all good lovers, The Moot keep their promises and this is a fully-realised vision: charming, disarming and oddly poignant, with a masterful understanding of mood so it stays fresh throughout…this reviewer stumbles off now, punch-drunk, thunderstruck and hopelessly in love." Jay Lawrance Sandman Magazine

" I've no idea why The Moot made such a big impression on me the first time I heard them and I still love 'em to bits" Peter Clitheroe, Suffolk n' Cool

" a very, very good band " Alan Raw, BBC Raw Talent Show

" Female Huddersfield duo The Moot sport seven tracks of their naïve home produced reggae on this sampler. Lifted from the 20 tracks free on their website, the clear joy for what they are doing and glee at being able to share them with the public at large is evident from the off. Get past the ropey home production and bop-bop-bop of the sampled drums and you are left with an interesting ear for reggae tinged pop. The naivety does occasionally extend beyond the bedroom production with one or two songs wandering past a comfortable length such as opener "This Is My Station" or "Manic Man". But for the most part the band's clear ear for a simple uplifting pop ditty shines through. The Stevie Wonder and Marley inspired "Snuggle Up" is good fun and lyrically gets away with its MySpace blog-banality just as Lily Allen does. "Walk Home" has a summer air to it to accompany any warm night when to drive would be a sin. Sadly in an era when even a demo needs to be release quality to attract any attention The Moot will no doubt get over-looked by many but a good producer could easily turn this into the sound of the summer." Richard Garnett, Leeds Music Scene

" As a 2 piece female reggae pop outfit, its immediately tempting and easy to label The Moot as some kind of White Stripes meets Althea and Donna type affair; though listening to LET ME KNOW, the bands latest demo reveals much more to the duo than first impressions may suggest.
As demo recordings, the songs aren't as polished and impressive as they perhaps deserve to be heard as; this is very much a case of promise and potential rather than excellent final product. The impossibly infectious lead track LET ME KNOW finds The Moot dangling that promise dangerously close though, the kind of song that gets under your skin from the off and refuses to let up in its naggingly catchy brilliance. THIS IS MY STATION is less impressive with its over familiar reggae bass rumblings and indistinct melodies, the stronger THE WAY THAT IT IS and SNUGGLE UP getting things back on track in style, the latter in particular impressing with its Prince esque funk pop moves.
As an indication of a band well worth keeping an eye out for, LET ME KNOW is a demo that announces The Moot as a duo with the songs, style and attitude to believe in. " Uk Music Search

About "Lost In Space" " Clare Dowling's wonderful band The Moot has a diverse yet distinct sound that captivates from the start. I love the dry forward lead vocals on this, supported by an other-worldly chorus and delicious electronic pop that sounds oh so human. Lovelypiece." Din from muzic.com

" Moot is defined as a hypothetical (read meaningless) argument by law students, an ancient English meeting of people from the shire, or of no practical relevance or importance. But guitarist/vocalist Clare Dowling and percussionist Eryl are no lawyers, nor are they Hobbits (that we know of) and their music is certainly not lacking in importance. Their EP ‘Let Me Know’ backs that up. It’s a collection of four reggae-dominated songs. The influence is less apparent on the opening eponymous track, which can only be described as a ditty. I challenge anyone to think dark thoughts while listening to this upbeat number. The all out reggae ‘This is My Station’ is pretty standard stuff and is something of a Jamaican inspired mantra. The stand out track though is ‘The Way That it Is’. It’s a broader, more eloquent reggae number that belies the home studio recording ethos of this innovative duo. ‘Snuggle Up’, like the title track ,skirts the cutesy border, but manages to retain some integrity as a well written, tightly arranged pop song. Clare’s vocals are strong and impressive, as is her guitar playing. If you want to get your hands on this EP you’ll have to contact the band themselves as they only release MP3s at the minute. The website is: [link] They even offer to add extra tracks to this EP. It’s a pity they didn’t add ‘Seagulls’ to this release as this BBC Raw Talent entry is by farone of their most eloquent pieces, with some pretty articulate guitar work from Clare. It all sounds a little light, but their songs are immediately recognisable and catchy enough to kick around in your headspace long after the track’s finished playing. " Andrew Burden, Glasswerk

"...we take the short step off to the Moorcock Stage to see The Moot. With a name like that I’m all prepared for some dreadful prog rock act, but am delighted to encounter a reggae band from the tropical paradise of Huddersfield. If reggae is your thing, then The Moot cannot help but impress. Fronted by a lass that looks like she should be singing wholesome folk songs about agricultural people hanging themselves in barns, they jam their way through a set that drives the cold from the bones." Simon Butler, Virtual Festivals.com

" The Moot hail from Huddersfield and are not like your usually two piece from England. The Moot like reggae and R&B. You can hear influences such as Bob Marley, UB40 and The Specials in there just to name a few. The first song on the demo is “The Way It Is” its got a lovely little groove and bounce to it and quite frankly it won’t leave my head. I found myself a few days after first hearing the tune humming it along on the street. “Wired Up” has a more traditional reggae feel. If you enjoy a good laid back beat and are looking for something a bit different go for Moot. Also, Moot have loads of music to download on their website which, you can find by clicking here. There is even a Morrissey cover!!" John Siwicki, Comfort Comes

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