With a sound which has a healthy eighties feel to it as well as a modern tenacity and enterprise, UK indie band Sugarmen unveil a rather enjoyable and infectious introduction to themselves via debut single Dirt. It is a rousing and feisty slice of pop rock but equally has a calming melodic tempting to create a nicely rounded and memorable first meeting between ears and the Liverpool quartet.
Sugarmen was formed by songwriters/guitarist Luke Fenlon and Chay Heney, soon concluding their openly creative line-up with bassist Tom Sheilds and drummer Sam McVann. Their inspirations are reflected in their record collections according to their bio and includes flavouring from the likes of Hooton Tennis Club to Peace, Parquet Courts to Alvvays, The Velvet Underground to Wild Beasts, and The Clash to Orange Juice, and it is this latter band which sprung to mind listening to Dirt, they and others like Josef K, The Farmers Boys, and The Bluebells. They were all bands capable of writing and creating the most contagious and blemish free pop songs and though it is only one song, Sugarmen suggest they have that quality too.
Since forming, the band has played with the likes of Sleaford Mods and Paul Weller whilst this coming June will see them supporting both Blur and The Who in Hyde Park as well as playing the Dot To Dot Festival in May. The Sugarmen sound has also caught the ears and attention of Mick Jones (The Clash / BAD) who after hearing the band’s demo tracks, produced ten songs including the single with them; it all occurring in Paul Weller’s studio which he donated for the recordings. It is fair to say that the band is standing at the point of real attention and potent spotlights, a door Dirt makes the ideal key for.
The song opens on a strum and the vocal prowess of Fenlon, a gentle but potent coaxing which teases for a short while before a stab of sonic tenacity sparks the band into a lively and magnetic stroll. The bass of Sheilds is instant flavoursome bait with its throaty lure matching the striking appeal of the guitars in its own individual way. Hooks and chords, sonic colours and rhythmic jabs all converge on ears with captivating enterprise and contagious endeavour, ridden by the harmonic roar of Fenlon’s vocals and the backing of the band. A sniff of Arctic Monkeys makes a hint to join essences of those mentioned previously but the truth is that Dirt has a voice and character which is primarily Sugarmen and, as their live presence, increasingly persuasive.
Expect to hear more of and from the band ahead, and we suspect in increasingly potent doses.
Dirt is available now via Poor Old Soul Records @ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dirt-single/id978569563
https://www.facebook.com/sugarmenuk https://twitter.com/Sugarmenuk
RingMaster 19/04/2015
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