The Watchmakers sounds like the name of a lysergic-fuelled '60s beat combo, probably from the US west coast, and there is indeed a heavy psychedelic element to what this Manchester group do. It might be the more upbeat, driving 'Illumination' that has got them some attention, along with comparisons to The Verve and Primal Scream amongst others, but released on the same single is the arguably (well, we say so anyway) better 'Carpe Diem'. You could use the same comparisons - particularly early Verve tracks, but the guitar, vocals and groove call to mind unsung '00s baggy/psych revivalists The Music before they burnt themselves out far too soon.
Despite the slower pace, 'Carpe Diem' is probably more likely to get you moving than 'Illumination', and this is down to the tight rhythm section giving us a stuttering, almost Madcahester-era beat and a winding, snake-hipped bassline that locks itself into a groove and stays there for the duration, reeling you in for the ride too. Overlaying the whole lot is lead guitar that wanders a similarly free and meandering path, piercing through the tune like shards of sonic glass. Sometimes repetition is a bad or lazy thing, but used correctly it can be hypnotic and form something you can really get lost in. The Watchmakers know the correct way, that's for sure.
The Watchmakers' website
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