Liverpool’s This Is War returned yesterday with their new single ‘Nightclub. It follows last year’s anthems ‘Autumn Savage Rose’ and ‘Sugar’. Can it match their standard?
In a similar vein to ‘Autumn Savage Rose’, it’s in your face from the off without being particularly explosive. The riff has The Clash’s ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’s stop-start style which, is taken for a walk on the wild side by bassist Andy Williams. His bassline takes the sexed-up disco-punk of The Slits ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ to the edge of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s power.
Frontman Paul Carden steps back from the bombast of the previous two singles to deliver a great Rod circa The Faces vocal for the most part. Carden moves from Rod to the beguiling psyche howl of Jim Morrison which allows for Roberts’ remarkable solo. Roberts finds a way to make Cream sound like a post-punk band.
Everything about this record screams danger. The kind tentative souls yearn for. The ilk of which, once you’re sucked in, you’re never leaving!