We see things they'll never see
Supercaan - Supercaan
(Simon Williams (Fierce Panda Records) Speaking to UK Music Week)
Based in London and Birmingham, three piece Supercaan feel like a return to the type of bands Simon is referring to. Their self-titled debut album is the result of four years of weekends working on demos, rehearsing and gigs. The results are varying in quality but the ideas and their identity are fully formed.
Greg Milner’s vocals draw instant comparison to The National’s Matt Berninger. Whilst a clear factor, in truth, it only becomes imitation when the mood drops on the opening of ‘Drag Me To Sea’ and the ‘High Violet’ inspired ‘Cold Opener’.
Away from the The National, their intricate psychedelia begins to forge a niche alongside the Ohio giants. Former singles ‘The Bull’ and ‘The Great North Eastern’ are prime examples. The hazy psychedelia of the former lends itself to the industrial euphoria of Editors and the motorik of Toy.
Meanwhile, ‘The Great North Eastern’, adopts British Sea Power’s more reflective mood and the choppy ‘Munich’ era of Editors. So many bands seek escape through their sound, here, they narratively speaking, deal with the opposite. The claustrophobic nature of this tale collides with sun drenched pop instincts to provide one of the year’s best singles.
Driving them further away (albeit slowly) from The National is a love of New Order. ‘Mosquito’ with the gothic and electronic pop world of Depeche Mode, but with repetitive hook approach reminiscent of ‘The Village’. Whilst ‘Hang On For Winter’, combines Sumner’s aching guitars and sun kissed sequencing with pop hook bassline from The Vaccines repertoire.
With so many iconic bands flowing through their influences, Supercaan were always going to have deliver something great to escape them. Alas, they haven’t, but, as Game of Thrones has proved, it’s not always the final outcome that matters. They’ve taken a brave swing at the greats and made their journey worth following with this debut.
*Image courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/gregmilnerphotography/
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
The Cosmics - Drained
The Birmingham three piece have returned with their new single ‘Drained’. This is taken from the 6 EP they are releasing in June.
The immediacy of the record is undeniable. Singer Erin Grace co-opts a Shrang-la’s vocal for the verse before effortlessly sliding into a furious punk rock delivery in the chorus.
Conor Boyle’s guitars possess the rapid fire angst of Oasis’ ‘Bring It Down’. There are nuggets of Noel’s glam rock riffs from ‘Hindu Times’ and ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ giving this record a depth and warmth few can match.
Their upcoming show at Old Blue Last (June 13th) is sure to be a sold out affair on this showing.
*Image courtesy of Danny Boyle
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
The Claim - The New Industrial Ballads
We review the new album New Industrial Ballads from Kent band The Claim.
“And now a song of hope / Despite despairing hearts”
The Claim are to release their first album since 1988’s ‘Boomy Tella’ via Turntable Friend Records on May 24th. Release date-wise, it’s perfection. Nothing is more British than a bank holiday, as the band they heavily influenced once sang:
“Bank holiday comes six times a year
Days of enjoyment to which everyone cheers”
Recorded at Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios in Rochester, they look set to reignite the Medway sound. At the heart of the original Medway boom were great pop instincts, nothing has changed.
Lead single ‘Johnny’ is the perfect link to this past. The urgency of Jam permeating their spiralling pop guitars. Meanwhile, Dave Read’s vocal hook on ‘When The Morning Comes’ chorus demonstrates pop music can emerge from even downbeat affairs. ‘Smoke and Screens’ and ‘The Haunted Pub’ is a display of pop music transcending to art. A flurry of polemic and social comment wrapped up in working class British life collides with sun-kissed production and sprightly guitar hooks. Whereas, the sparkling Grandaddy production and Bluetones' pop sheen of 'Just Too Far' is the album’s cherry on the cake. The Smiths methodology burns bright.
In 2015, Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly) released an EP and album under the moniker ‘Recreations’. It tapped into a feeling of alternative and lost souls along the estuary in Essex. The Claim, a five-minute hop across the Thames, has struck a similar chord. Opener ‘Johnny Kidd’s Right Hand Man’, drifts down the estuary ignored and downtrodden but never losing hope. The mod-cum-blues on ‘Estuary Greens and Blues’ recalls Blur’s ‘End of Century’ and ‘To The End’ as it drifts out to sea. So blissful is album closer 'Under Canvas', that all those sneering looks for wearing DM's or having to tolerate Farage lovers drift away into insignificance.
The Claim, despite obviously being a band of brothers, have, in Dave Read a vocalist that perhaps only Morrissey and Michael Head can rival. Unique in sound, he has the ability to find a melodic hook in unexpected places. 'Light Bending', as the guitars saunter like British Sea Power circa 'Open Season', finds a choppy Dr Feelgood vibe. Whereas, 'Mrs Jones', Read delivers his most emotive vocal on a loving character-driven tale.
The subtlety of The Claim’s polemic gently caressing the infectious melodies is truly remarkable. Blink and you’ll miss the band’s appeal to be nicer to immigrants on ‘Journey’. Couple this with the righteousness of ‘I will stand and fight / for what I know is right’ and Read’s gut-wrenching alienation on the line ‘where do I fit in…………where do I belong’, you have one of the social comments of the year. On ‘Hercules’, the nuance turns to anti-austerity polemic (“boarded up shops / Run down housing / There’s your big society”) but remains forever pop friendly. This is how to mix pop and politics without an embarrassment of excuses.
It’s been 30 years since their debut ‘Boomy Tella’. Countless fans will have pondered what might have been having they got a bigger break back then. We defy them not to see this 30 years wait as positive now. Integrity in tack, The Claim have delivered a pop music masterpiece.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
The White Tips - Patience
Former Travellers Tunes party performers The White Tips are back with their new single ‘Patience’.
The Aylesbury outfit have laid bare their love of Nirvana for all to see on this new offering. The moment Andy Shaw’s bass drops, memories of ‘Lithium’ will come flooding back.
As soon as the record starts, there is an inevitably about it, a solo is coming (say this in Ned Stark’s voice!). It’s a nice nod to the destruction of ‘Breed’ and the pop instincts of ‘Drain You’ but, with all Nirvana enthusiasts, the unavoidable difference class is apparent. Cobain really was another level to most.
That said, there is something here, a spark to keep you coming back. With airplay and festivals behind them, an upturn in confidence may well make this journey more intriguing.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Paula Wolfe – Georgia Blue
London and Norfolk based artist (and producer) Paula Wolfe has returned with her new single ‘Georgia Blue’.
In 2019, with European elections approaching, couldn’t be released at more apt time. With an undercurrent of hostility permanently in the air, human emotions and progress are sliding out of view.
Wolfe’s tale of a cross dressing train driver, with crisp warming vocals and swooning production is a stark reminder to be less selfish. It’s written with great characterisation and a strong sense of Englishness, it’ll recall the eloquence of Ray Davies and Paul Weller in their pomp.
Despite the prevailing beauty on show, there is a solemnness to the protagonist’s journey that should spark memories of ‘Saturday Night Sunday Morning’ or Pulp’s ‘Common People’. A sense of ordinary people living extraordinary lives burns bright.
This is ‘That’s Entertainment’ for the woke generation and boy does society need art like this to bring different generations together once again.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Tallies: The Social, London
Toronto based four piece Tallies played their debut UK gig at The Social last week. With Ride legend Andy Bell dj-ing, it was a great way for them to make their mark.
Despite being in their infancy, there was a striking level of polish to their set. The level between the album and their live performance was minimal and, in front woman Sarah Cogan, they have an icon in the making. Her Harriet Wheeler-esque vocals carried a soaking wet London to far sunnier climates.
Lead guitarist Dylan Frankland took his turn to sparkle on the sumptuous ‘Midnight’ and the driving shoegaze of ‘Trains and Snow’. Despite their moments in the spotlight, there was no ego on stage just pure gang mentality.
So much of their set is littered with pop hooks, be it vocally or on the guitar. By the end, it felt inevitable a big break through is coming this summer for Tallies. The shimmering guitars on ‘Beat The Heart’ or the pop perfect ‘Mother’ were so delicious, binge eating beckons.
When you consider the success of Australia’s DMA’s in the UK with their re-imagining of late 80s and early 90s British music, this might well be a rare small gig for Tallies in the UK.
*Image courtesy of Sonic Cathedral
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Gazelle – Young Blood
Leicester’s Gazelle have been setting the underground circuit alight with their brand of rock ‘n’ roll in 2019. This past Friday marked their debut EP release. Can ‘Young Blood’ keep the ball rolling?
Escapism and attitude are the bedrock of this EP. ‘Guilt Trip Gun’ pairs self-doubt and realisation that sticking two fingers up to the world is the only way through it! John Squire’s paisley era (Sally Cinnamon & Mersey Paradise) is reignited on the solo. Meanwhile, ‘Finger On The Trigger’ is inescapably for the young. Angst ridden and driven to break free of their shackles, Gazelle again look to the Roses with the bravado of Stoke’s All The Young.
On the title track and ‘Young Blood’, they begin to showcase there is more to them than just bangers. The former takes The Cure’s archetypal guitar sound and splices it with a rock’n’ roll desperation. Had it sound tracked the tunnel scene of Perks of Being a Wallflower, it would not have been out of place.
‘Diamond High’ taps into the innocent energy of Gerry Cinnamon. Taking a stripped back approach to the Roses rippling guitars, they’ve found a wholesome and everyman sound that’s made Shed 7 so adorable down the years. The sentiments of ‘Live Forever’ prevail on ‘Diamond High’ beautifully in lyrics:
“I get lost sometimes / Your always in mind / I promise you and I / can forget the rest of the world”
This kind of no nonsense romanticism is destined to bring them huge success!
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
The Novatones - Drunkn Bar Fight
Southampton’s The Novatones have returned with a new EP ‘Drunken Bar Fight’.
Their ability to recreate the punkier anthems of the 00s has seen the accrue many a fan from that era. Now, with these two everyman tales of nights out, they could be on the cusp of reeling this generation. After all, everyone epoch needs tales of sex drugs and rock n roll, doesn’t it?
‘Going Home’, with its roots firmly in the Artic Monkeys classic ‘I Bet You Look On The Dancefloor’, they’ve found an anthem for the unwashed indie night club masses. With the drunken swagger of Pigeon Detectives and the lyrical spite of Tom Clarke’s The Enemy, ‘Going Home’ is going to soundtrack many a night out.
Meanwhile, ‘Dancing In The Dark’ recalls the raw side of Dogs. The thudding beats of ‘Charlie’ and the debauched melancholy of ‘Spring’s Not Always Green’ combine with punk’s immediacy. Despite being the weaker of the two, the guitar breakdown offers an off the beat sound not seen from there before. The thought of wayward mod psyche, The Horrors clashing with The Ordinary boys is one to truly salivate over. Can it be done? We’re going to enjoy finding out.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Richard Ashcroft: Olympia, London
When the Wigan icon returned with ‘These People’ in 2016, we saw him twice in London. Once at the o2, where he delivered a stunning orchestra backed set of the classics. The following summer, at Brixton Academy, something astonishing happened. A man who, to millions, has nothing to prove let his burning desires for people to love his new music pour over his adoring fans. He was a man possessed. Having made his point emphatically, what would he do this time?
Resplendent in his glitter ball jacket, he bounced on stage this past Saturday at London’s vast Olympia Exhibition centre. With his hair long like ‘Storm In Heaven’ era of The Verve, that energy from Brixton hadn’t dissipated.
It doesn’t take long to see why either. Almost every song has been given a makeover. The spirit of Prince’s showman guitar style is at the heart of every riff and solo. ‘Break The Night With Colour’ becomes an funked up introspective masterclass meanwhile, ‘Music Is Power’ is given the full Curtis Mayfield treatment.
On the down tempo The Verve classics ‘Space and Time’ or ‘Velvet Morning’, the meditative guitars are heightened to a more glamourous sphere, but always retaining the respect to McCabe’s majesty.
It’s a remarkable achievement. No one was expecting this gear change. Lesser men, mortals, would have lost a crowd attempting something so bold. Not Ashcroft. With the poetry of Blake still coursing through him, he keeps his integrity and humbleness at the fore of every great lyric and vocal.
This gig is a firm reminder than nothing less striving for brilliance will do!
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Ride – Future Love
Ride are back and once more teaming up with Erol Alkan on their new single ‘Future Love’.
There were some genuine moments of quality on ‘Weather Diaries’ (‘Lannoy Point’, ‘All I Want’, ‘Lateral Alice’) but, a lack of clarity at times (‘Charm Assault’, ‘Weather Diaries) meant the disappointment of ‘Tarantula’ had not been fully laid to rest.
However, it was clear from the ‘Nowhere’ tour in 2015 and the supporting tours of ‘Weather Diaries’ and EP ‘Tomorrow’s Shore’, the band were in sync again.
This is self-evident on the happiness permeating ‘Future Love’. Iconic singer/guitarist Andy Bell told Pitchfork it is “about the beginning of a relationship, when everything feels possible.” The romanticism of this notion is everywhere. Lyrically, it’s as sweet a pop single you’ll hear all year.
Ride diehards though, may make a different leap. One which imagines the lyrics being about Ride members being in love with the band again. It has the pop ecstasy of ‘Twisterella’ and the escapist warmth of ‘In A Different Place’. They may have been back for five years, but now they are home.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
Noel Gallagher - Black Star Dancing
Despite the success of ‘Who Built The Moon?’, creatively, although leaps were made, great strides forward were not.
So, when the house music Noel talks about so lovingly emerges in the opening of ‘Black Star Dancing’, we stood still. Has the penny dropped? Has he gone for it this time? It would appear he might have!
The crisp bassline immediately transports you to the early part of a club night. A sense of excitement hangs in the air, where will this night go! Noel has found his Chicago soul vocally, cool and calm in verse, exciting and escapist in the chorus. Someone get him in a studio with Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson!
Noel’s work with Johnny Marr has filtered through on the guitars too. The choppy disco style of Marr and Nile Rodgers collides with his incredulous ability to deliver a catchy solo. It goes further than pop music though, there is a dark edge backing the heavenly backing vocals and hypnotic beats.
This kind of juxtaposition was there on ‘Who Built The Moon?’ but, the quality has now gone to another level.
Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets available here:
The Membranes - What Nature Gives…Nature Takes Away
The Membranes have returned with a new double album ‘What Nature Gives…Nature Takes Away’ via the legendary Cherry Red imprint. Their eighth studio album is set to release on the 7th of June and is a clear front runner for the Mercury Music Award.
Forever bold, they’ve again thrown down the gauntlet to their peers to match their psychedelic post-punk creativity. The inclusion of a choir raised eyebrows on the announcement considering how flat ‘The Kinks Choral Collection’ and Oasis’ live use of the Crouch End Choir was. Here, however, The Membranes have embedded the choir as a dangerous weapon in the arsenal.
The lead of the single ‘Strange Perfume’ is a soaring piece of melodrama. It floods the senses on this animalistic funked-up piece of punk with nods to Bauhaus and The Blinders.
With the recent climate change protests having taken place, The Membranes’ approach to highlighting the impending Armageddon is exemplarily timed. Chris Packham’s appearance may roll a few people’s eyes but, the iconic presenter delivers with the panache of Vic Templar on The Claim’s cult classic ‘Mike The Bike’.
The wonder of nature continues on ‘The Murmuration of Starlings in Blackpool Pier’. Featuring folk legend Judy Collins and news reports, it details the flock of birds swirling the famous pier. A reflection of nature’s majesty this is not though. The sinister humanity of Pulp’s ‘This Is Hardcore’ combines with frontman John Robb’s savage delivery to conjure images of flailing life and human destruction.
The album hits an astonishingly powerful high point on ‘The 21st Century Is Killing Me’. Robb channels a husky Ian Brown meets Shaun Ryder vocal on this psychedelic choir fuelled affair. As the choir loops “Breathe in, breathe out”, the magnitude of the song title builds to the almost unbearable reflection of the last 10 years. Years of austerity, Bullingdon arrogance, climate neglect, shit trains, expensive trains, Trump, Farrage, Tommy Yaxley Lennon, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism, Corbyn failing to lead, Lammy not leading, Mogg’s dodgy 7 million, and Hartley-Brewer & O'Brien two sides of the same pathetic LBC coin. It all comes crashing down on this hypnotic plea for humanity to pull its finger out!
There are, however, moments of post-punk pop to cut through this tension. ‘A Murder of Crows’ is a furious Happy Mondays meets The Fall punk-funk stomper. ‘Black Is The Colour’ takes the iconic sound of Hooky’s bass to modern-day Fat White Family and The Blinders dystopian landscapes. ‘Mother Ocean / Father Time’ calls upon the unruly energy of The Stooges via Death In Vegas.
Meanwhile ‘What Nature Gives...Nature Takes Away’ harness’ the sexed-up riffs of Elastica, the desolation of Joy Division, and the melodious melancholy of Johnny Marr to deliver glorious pop experimentation.
The mainstream music press, too often says things like “where are all the bands”, “where are the outsiders, the rule-breakers, the risk-takers”. They never went anywhere; this decade has been a great one for music. It’s just been chronically undervalued and underdocumented.
It’s been a decade of psyche influences. Kicked off by the hazy lo-fi Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, it took until 2013 to have its real moment, Primal Scream’s ‘More Light’. This was joined by The Blinders’ ‘Columbia’ last year and now The Membranes have added to it. There is a real sense that they have left every ounce of their soul in the recording studio for this release. The intensity and the struggle is tangible at times and, it should be serially recognised!
The Astronots - Settle Down
LA’s The Astronots are back with their new single ‘Settle Down’, the pre-cursor to their upcoming EP release.
Previous efforts such as ‘El Dorado’ and ‘How Much Pain’ have been indebted to the rock classicism of Led Zeppelin hooks and the effortlessness of The Band. On ‘Settle Down’, song writing duo Niko Giaimo (Vocals/Guitar) and Allee Futterer (Vocals/Bass) have found their sound.
Both voally and sonically, an eerily bewitching mood has been developed. Aloof and dangerous, The Astronots have arrived in a big way.
Ynys – Caneuon
Ynys is the new project from ex Race Horses icon Dylan Hughes. Released today on Libertino Records, it is timed to perfection with the sun beating down on the UK once more.
The Welsh language will be alien to many but, in fractious times, Hughes’ delivery should signify just how much togetherness can be gained via difference.
It’s an effortless sun kissed Elliot Smith track which meanders without a care in the world. Although clearly a great slice of pop, there is a defiance to this record. A carefree attitude for sure but, with an immediacy and a sense of “my time is now” permeates throughout.
Our 8th birthday party is Friday 2nd August at the New Cross Inn. Click the image below for tickets:
The Yellow Melodies - Life
Murcia’s The Yellow Melodies returned earlier this year with their eighth studio album ‘Life’. It seems an unlikely location for the hallmarks of great 90s indie-pop to resurface but, they’ve had one hell of a crack at it.
The moment title track ‘Life’ saunters into action, the cuteness of the Lightning Seeds rises and with the careering strings, the early spirit of Sleeper and ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ era Blur come to life. Lifting ‘Life’, as well as ‘Don’t Think Twice’ and ‘For A Star’ away from pastiche are the guitars of Rafa Skam and Carlos.
For the most part, ‘Don’t Think Twice’ has an air of Bob Collins’ playing in The Dentists. A subtle shimmer revolves throughout like a hazy beacon of light. ‘For A Star’, with the lo-fi infectiousness of The Wannadies classic ‘Be A Girl’ album, meanders effortlessly like The Orchids with Rob Collins joining on keys before exploding into life! The solo that comes bursting into view is a destructive dirt ridden Sonic Youth piece of glory.
‘Our Time Is Over’ is where they pull everything they love together. The pop sensibilities of The Lightning Seeds and the jangle of Sarah’s Records collide with a triumphant melancholy a la Teenage Fanclub. There is so much heart oozing from the vocals and the orchestration, it’s hard not to give your CD a little hug.
There are moments of flatness such as ‘Come and See’ where the worst traits of Space emerge. However, when you temper that with the risk taking ‘Flying Together’, which couples Saint Etienne and The Auteurs, there is not much room for complaint.
There is so much to fall in love with on ‘Life, the costly investment in the back catalogue is inevitable.
Our 8th birthday party is Friday 2nd August at the New Cross Inn. Click the image below for tickets:
Sleeper: Kentish Town Forum, London
Live review of Britpop icons Sleeper at London's Kentish Town Forum.
When Sleeper reformed, it was always going to be fun for everyone to take a trip down memory lane. They’re one of the greats of their era. When they announced a new album, the nerves jangled more, then ‘The Modern Age’ came out and rivals, if not surpasses anything they’ve ever done. So, could they bring the new album to life live? You bet your Saturday hairdo they could!
When a band is tagged to a scene such as Sleeper were to Britpop, there is a danger the energy of those songs can fade. It can never be the same again right? No one told Jon Stewart. His playing is bolder on ‘Statuesque’ and more aggressive on ‘Delicious’ than ever before.
Some bands are about the collective, and some, however humbly they deny it, are about the front person. Sleeper are that band and Louise Wener is said icon. Daenerys Targaryen has nothing on Wener. Her vocals on ‘What Do I Do Now’ transport everyone back to the heartache of teenage years. However, it’s on the new material she really comes alive. As the trippy guitars WHAT SONG revolve around north London, Wener subtly deploys her knowing and sexy vocals to crushing effect. No one is left in any doubt just how fucked up the times we live in by the end.
Too many bands deliberately deploy a dip, in order to bring the crowd back up. Frankly, it’s annoying! Sleeper seem fully aware, there just simply isn’t any let up. The crowd is fully on board with the new material, no time for piss breaks! When they deployed multiple disco balls during ‘Atomic’/’Love Will Tear Us Apart’, cystitis seemed worth risking to be honest.
As they closed the night out with the classic ‘Sale Of The Century’, an air of desperation arises. The dawning realisation that they might disappear for another 22 years led to everyone’s soul being laid bare in the Forum.
If that’s all she wrote for Sleeper, it was even more joyous second time round!
Our 8th birthday party is Friday 2nd August at the New Cross Inn. Click the image below for tickets:
Ghost//Signals – A Bag For Death
Newcastle-based four-piece Ghost Signals have returned with their new single ‘A Bag For Death’. Much like Fierce Panda’s Sad Boys Club, they are making waves with their Cure inspired pop music.
Vocally, Rick Lanning has a great ability to impart elements of so many of the 00s greats. Its Preston (The Ordinary Boys) at his pop finest, there’s the fluidity of Joel Stoker (The Rifles) and the warmth of Liam Fray (The Courteeners) circulating throughout.
Musically, it unashamedly reaches for glory with The Cure as its foundations. It has the hallmarks of The Rifles and The Courteeners at their freest flowing. Setting such an awe inspiring sonic to a tale of toxic masculinity in society still burying its head on mental health is highly commendable.
Already a must see in act in Newcastle, Ghosts//Signals look set to achieve wider success with this heartfelt portrayal of a universal problem.
Dont forget our 8th birthday party extravaganza, tickets available via the image below
Skint & Demoralised - Boro Kitchen 4am
It’s been six years since we last saw Matt Abbott and David Gledhill in the guise of Skint & Demoralised. After three albums (the first two pop classics), Abbott established himself as one the UK’s finest spoken word performers, whilst Gledhill was working on his SOULS project. Amid the mire of Brexit, they’ve returned with new single ‘Boro Kitchen 4am’.
When they burst onto the indie scene in 2007, they were churning out classics such as ‘Red Lipstick’ and ‘It’s Only Been A Week’ as if it was second nature. They were songs that only a teenager could have written, even the darker moments were full of hope. Now they are 30, the hope has strayed into rage filled social observations worthy of Joe Strummer.
From the Sleaford Mods school of post-punk despair, Abbott’s vocal is at its most violent to date. Lyrically cutting and insightful, it gets to the crux of the Brexit conundrum and its endless contradictions.
Musically, someone has turned Art Brut’s amp setting to spiteful. Riffs and hooks not only aplenty, but they come at you like a flurry of punches. Maximo Park’s reinvention on their ‘The National Health’ album was rightly lauded. After hearing ‘Boro Kitchen 4am’, the rule book on how to re-invent yourself as an anarchic and poetic force has been re-written.
Their live dates at The Social (London 11th April) and The Great Escape Festival (Brighton) are not to be missed.
*Image coutesy of Kelly Harrison
Dont forget our 8th birthday party extravaganza, tickets available via the image below
Desperate Journalist: The Garage, London
It’s been a week since Desperate Journalist packed the Garage in North London. We’re still reeling! Make no mistakes, Desperate Journalist are the real deal, they know it, that audience knew it, now, the world must too.
When you have a pop anthem like ‘Why Are You So Boring?’ in your locker, you save it for the climatic end right? Bollocks to that, they blasted it out second and sent London’s eyeliner massive into a frenzy. How do you follow that? With a soul crushing performance of ‘Jonatan’, that’s how.
On this Wolf Alice meets The Cult track, front woman Jo Bevan details the loss of a close friend. Bevan’s style has always been from pure and raw but, the courage she summons to deliver this heartfelt ode is breath taking. As she repeats ‘Jonatan’ at the songs close, Bevan transcends music. It’s so powerful, and so honest, this packed crowd is grieving as one.
Their recent singles ‘Cedars’ and ‘Satellite’ have seen guitarist Rob Hardy shine as bright as Bevan on record. There is a buzz in-between the support acts about this. Just how good are his solos going to be? Their escapist qualities were undeniable but, they highlighted just how much of gang Desperate Journalist are. There was no trundling through both songs to let Hardy take the limelight. If anything, on ‘Cedars’ he wielded his power with a humbleness that made Bevan look even more iconic.
Sometimes, after a great show (and this was), you are left wondering, where do a band go from here? Should they just bow out in a glorious fashion? For Desperate Journalist, even three albums in, this felt like a beginning. Only bigger and greater things are going to come their way.
Come at the King – Shudder
London’s Come at the King returned on the 29th March with their new track ‘Shudder’.
This is the kind of record latter day Oasis attempted on their last record with ‘Bag It Up’ and ‘Waiting For The Rapture’. Sadly, Noel could never quite land the kind of slow menacing psyche track synonymous with their friends BRMC.
Come at the King have hit upon the desolation of BRMC and the dirty riffs of early Black Keys on this slow building number. It’s an impressive effort for a fledgling band but, arguably, just one crushing solo away from glory.
Catch them live at Modern Age’s London date on 12th April at 229.