Right, so I got this album on the morning of their Bristol gig (which I can't be arsed to review. It was ok. Tubelord supported, and they were ace. I wish my name were Azerrad.)
The three piece play a big noisy Northern-rock sound that's not un-similar to label mates Danananananananananananananaykroyd, but never seems to satisfy. The record sounds slightly uncomfortable, and big hooks like the chorus of "Eyes Wide Terrified" never seem to sparkle the way they should, but instead get kind of lost in the rest of the song.
If you ask me, the key to this band is to realise how cute they are. They have a twinge of the american alternative scene in them (eg. The Shins, Mates of Sate, Shout Out Louds... or practically any T-Mobile advert music) that beams through the racket and tells you that it's ok. Admitedly, it's not an obvious assesment to make, but the lyrics and vocals in general bring a distinct new flavour to the sound that distinguishes this band from other heavy northen acts, with their yelps and non-sensical lyrics about big cat assault... for example.
Of course this doesn't apply to stand out track, and general GEM of a song, "Salt, Peppa and Spinderella". While synths feature in other songs on the album, this is the only track that incorperates them as a key feature, resulting in an urgent and imediate pop sound. Stripping back the huge guitars give the vocals room to breathe, and some of the best lyrics and melodys get their fair share of space in the mix here. This song realy is great. (and the video is cool too, you can check it at their myspazz)
Unfortunately though, it realy overshadows the rest of the material here, which I don't feel has been realised well on record. Apparently, the band have just got back from america, where they were recording their seccond full-length. I've got higher hopes for this record and will be checking it out fo sho!
Ultimately then, a promising but ultimately unconvincing album.
Cheers.
Chris/Audio Biggot
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment