The one with the devil is the fifth EP from “scrapyard rockers” Shit The Cow but our introduction to the Swedish quartet and boy are we kicking ourselves for that. The six track incitement is a furore of creative theatre and raw energy treating ears and imagination to an often ferocious and always compelling mix of alternative and hard rock with as forceful punk, stoner, and garage rock infusions. Hindsight shows that it is a mix which has primarily fuelled the band’s previous exciting releases in their various characters of sound but is at a new pinnacle within this latest encounter.
From 2012 EP volume/cow, Stockholm based Shit The Cow has uncaged a sound which infests the imagination but as shown by our recent discovery of them, thanks to the band themselves, maybe not always awareness. Certainly subsequent EPs, Salt of the earth (2013), Rissna (2014), and 67p have drawn plaudits and a host of new fans but it might just be, with deserved luck, that it is The one with the devil which ignites real attention.
Produced by Ron Haven, The one with the devil swiftly grips ears and induces raw hunger with opener Warcow. At a few breaths over a minute in length, the song is a rampaging surge of infectious caustic punk pop; like a lustfully dirty blend of The Dickies and The Super Happy Fun Club, all fuzzy guitar and irresistible hooks driven by thumping rhythms. Vocalist/guitarist Peter Söderberg sits astride the surging drive of the track, his great vocals backed and surrounded by the guitar/bass enterprise of Daniel Kjellberg and Erik Rosenberg, the pair apparently sharing instruments across the EP. Short but ridiculously infectious, the song has ears and psyche enslaved in little time before the EP’s title track lays down its potent bait.
One With The Devil has a slightly slower stride to its gait but a more imposing weight and tone as it as good as prowls the senses. A glorious hook within a superhero essence captures the imagination as swiftly as the magnetically firm beats of Robin Lindqvist court the instincts to rock ‘n’ roll. Like Eagles Of Death Metal meets Helldorado yet not, the song is pure rock alchemy, a primal solicitation of the passions snarling away with increasing potency
The following El Chupacabra has a similar template to its character, stalking ears as engaging vocals and imagination entangling grooves collude with nagging riffs and rapacious rhythms. Featuring the backing female vocal charm and beauty of someone apparently called Alex, the song is a tempestuous, almost volcanic fire of raw intensity and melodic seduction which tempts and insists on attention as repetitious beats and niggly riffs core the whole bewitching affair.
There is something familiar about next up The Villain, an essence we have not yet pinned down but only adds to the intrigue and enjoyment of the exciting encounter. Again a wealth of flavours and textures are woven into a song by Shit the Cow, those female vocals alongside Söderberg icing on another irresistible slice of multi-faceted rock ‘n’ roll.
The band whips up another punk infested gen with IGGY next, the track a stomping beast of insistent beats and antagonistic riffs aligned to a bass growl to drool over with band vocals which ignite the spirit and indeed the vocal chords. There is a Jello Biafra air to the song, more Lard than Dead Kennedys maybe but very tasty all the same though ultimately song and sound is little like anyone else’s.
The EP is closed by an alternative version of Warcow; a quite delicious and haunting seducing with Alex on vocals courted by a host of portentous sounds and melancholically enthralling keys. The song is quite wonderful, a stunning end to a riveting and exhilarating first listen, for us, to Shit The Cow, the source of a new musical lust we are sure we will not be alone in having.
There are numerous and varying essences which make a great record, elements which create an escape or certainly a potent diversion from everyday issues and drudgery. There are some which go even further, capturing the imagination as forcibly as ears and emotions whilst taking the listener into a landscape that is familiar in some and many ways to their own personal life’s scenery. These are the standout moments in music and FM is without doubt one of those. The third album from UK reggae/dub quartet The Skints, the release is a fascinating and seriously thrilling adventure, an encounter from the band drawing on their own personal pleasures growing up and in turn connecting with the listener’s. FM is an inescapable thrill fuelled by fun, fierce enterprise, and ridiculously contagious imagination…oh there are some rather bewitching sounds involved too.
Following on from their previous acclaimed albums, Breathe. Build. Believe. and Part & Parcel, of 2009 and 2012 respectively, FM is a tantalising proposition which in some ways can be described as a concept album. The release from the East London quartet of Jon Doyle (bass), Marcia Richards (keys/sax/flute/melodica/vocals), Jamie Kyriakides (drums/vocals), and Josh Waters Rudge (guitar/vocals), takes the listener into the heart of an imaginary London pirate radio station, The Big FM / Frequency Murderation, 103.Skints. Across its length we are entertained by four radio shows with the DJ Mr Versatile Breakfast Show, the alter-ego of Tippa Irie, setting the album’s broadcast off. The release is a tribute to the radio culture the band and indeed we have all loved as music fans, whatever our tastes, an ‘education’ and experience arguably lost in the modern internet age. FM is quite simply spellbinding in premise and invention, the songs finding The Skints at another creative plateau yet unafraid to give a nod to their early inspirations and own rawer sound whilst weaving diverse tapestries from roots reggae, dub, rocksteady, punk, Motown, grime, garage, and soul plus much more.
FM is summer in one excitable embrace and instantly steals ears and passion with This Town which follows the opening Breakfast Show skit. Featuring Tippa Irie and Horseman, the song is an immediate seduction. Vocals caress ears as guitar and pulses stroke with equally engaging intrigue. It is potent bait swiftly given greater colour by the irresistible tones of Marcia Richards. The song has attention and appetite instantly in its hands right away as a skittish air only adds to its compelling aural smile. London life has never been so warmly and magnetically shown but it is just the start. Both guests add their distinctive and captivating vocal adventures to the invigorating stroll, it all leading to a croon of a chorus which surely no one can resist. The track is spellbinding leaving a huge grin on heart and face and pleasure ready for what is to follow.
In The Night steps in next, its melodies and harmonies gliding over the senses, serenading ears with aural poetry. Elegant and reflective, the song also shows a darker yet unthreatening side, Horseman again adding his rich deep tones as energies brew heavier attitude around him. Imagine By The Rivers meets The Clash and you get a sense of the great contrasts colluding in beauty, though admittedly not the real uniqueness of the offering. Its mesmeric elegance is followed by Come To You, a summery waltz in ears with Richards as vocally enchanting as the pop bred melodies and steamy prods of keys and guitar. You can easily visualise or imagine a video of the song such its cinematic air, for us the singer spreading her melodic romance from the open carriage of a London park situated steam train, its wheels dancing around a track in the sultry heat of summer.
The excellent My War brings a darker edge to the release, the song a cover of the Black Flag track. It is still a fascinating melodically enhanced invitation but has a snarl to its voice and attitude lined swing that breeds an additional intriguing edge to the provocative narrative and shadows. The track is the end of the first show, Dancehall Dilemmas with Dr. Ranking Pegasus (aka. Horseman) opening up the stations next clutch of offerings. Featuring a ‘call from listener Danny’ it evolves into the excellent Friends & Business, another song with an addictive swagger and punchy rhythmic enticing commanding feet and passions with consummate ease. Ska bred with a soulful nature to its heart and vocals, the track also has a mischievous almost vaudeville moment which only adds to the addiction spawned by the slice of rock pop.
Both the feisty sway and swing of Where Did You Go? and the more serious presence of Tazer Beam keeps album and listener aflame with invention and pleasure. The first is yet another call of the summer with intimate melodies and irresistible rhythmic and percussive lures courted by bewitching vocal prowess across the band. As with many songs by The Skints, you feel you know the proposition ahead of ears yet everything about it is fresh and unpredictable, a skill sparking greater lustful reactions. The second of the two songs, explores a darker and grittier premise, looking at gun and associated violence on both sides of street culture. Tippa Irie returns to bring his pungent style to the immersive tones of song and band, contrasts again sublimely crafted in sound and lyrical expression by the band.
After the melodic spell of The Forest For The Trees, sorcery of vocals from across the band kissing ears as words and reggae honed strokes work on the imagination, the Grime Hour With Rivz (aka MC Rival) welcomes Eyes In The Back Of My Head. Also featuring the ‘DJ’, the track almost prowls ears, the hip hop incitement of Rival an alluring and compelling protagonist against the similarly imposing sounds surrounding his spits. Tempering it though, keys and vocals from the band bring their own smouldering seduction; whilst seemingly inspired by the tense streets being explored, the guitar reveals noir lit drama in its creative designs. The track gets under the skin, constantly evoking thoughts and emotions before Got No Say provides its own distinctive and individual flirtation of eagerly simmering keys, siren-esque melodies, and another thrilling and adventurous vocal union. In many ways the song might be the most pop of them all on FM, though as ever it never allows itself to settle into one singular premise of sound.
DJ Mr. Versatile Evening Session is the final show of the broadcast and gives us the mouth-watering beauty of Tomorrow. The song epitomises everything impressive about The Skints. Songwriting alone as enchanting and immersive as the melodies and imagination fuelling every slice of ingenuity held within FM. We have obviously repeatedly mentioned the thrilling melodies and harmonies which ignite songs, but have to also point out the dark throbbing lines cast by Doyle’s bass, the instrument and its dramatic strings perpetually casting additional theatre within the tracks.
It is a masterful end to a stunning release. The band’s previous albums were the mark of a band persistently finding new heights and depths in its sound and invention. Now FM is yet another landmark for not only The Skints but indeed reggae seeded ingenuity as a whole.
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Yerbadiablo is the one man project from Italian multi-instrumentalist Nik (the Öyster) and Jester In Brick Lane his debut album which leaves one a little confused, often bemused, but overall with a buzz and satisfaction from the widely eclectic sounds on offer.
Started in 2010, Yerbadiablo brings a fusion of sounds and ideas which shift from song to song but also entwined in unique and startling ways. To probably over simplify things the music is experimental rock n roll soaked in elements and essences ranging from punk, progressive and seventies rock through to reggae, funk, garage, and hard rock, and that is missing other spices out of the list. From Bologna, Nik provides all aspects of the release with a few guest appearances from musicians like saxophonist/flautist Gabriele Bolognesi of Patty Pravo, adding extra flavouring to his imaginative work.
Released through Logic(il)Logic Records, the album opens with the first single from it, Punk In-Fusion. It is a punk rock/garage stomp with blazing guitars, harmonic shouts, and a scuzzy breath to its energetic stroll. It also shifts through multiple gaits, the punk and rock start evolving through funk and reggae shifts before returning to the boisterous starting sound. First listen , as with the album, is a wrong footing experience, its unexpected and confusing intent leaving one bewildered but the song is easy to warm to and join in league with over a few more visits.
The general theme of the album centres on ‘modern Man’s arrogance towards natural and spiritual phenomena about and more material issues such as the society and economy that he claims to control.’ Throughout though there is the jester of the title, the source of the lyrical attack on man, his anger and spite a punishment to guide and drive man back to older ways and thoughts. It is a premise which leaves one as deep in thought as the sounds, and at times as unsure, but continually lures one in with a willing intrigue and interest as with the sounds.
Winston Smith & the Street Dogs continues the good, its blues/funk rock a keen swagger through the ear which raises a smile on face and emotions. Things are a little unsettled there after though it is more down to personal tastes towards the flavourings used but where a song like Brick Lane does not ignite any sparks a Back To The Monkey with its jazz funk heart is a tasty morsel to get in bed with.
Z’étoile is a real highlight of the album, its ethnic warmth and enthusiasm making for a thrilling instrumental which has no reservation in including rogue mischievous sounds. It is matched by the blues discorded Guilty Blues and the excellent Bad Days Good Waves, a track which reminds of the punk wickedness and sounds of Les Negresses Vertes. It is the best song on the album and despite its length of two minutes, has feet and passions dancing eagerly.
The air blistering and ambience twisting instrumental Towards Wiñay Marka is a inspiring prod to the imagination and leads into the closing duo of Niebla and Yerbadiablo. The first is a gentle sway of piano and guitar around a soft voice which emerges into another chilling and disturbing presence as with the previous track. The last is quite simply the final whisper/threat of the jester, not really a track more a departing rebuke.
Jester In Brick Lane is an engaging and testing album which all should get plenty from. It is vibrant and at times disorientating but always with a magnetic pull to inspire questions and prolonged company. Yerbadiablo should be checked out, it is an experience to make any ones day interesting.
June 25th sees the release of the second single from the album Rooftops from the continually impressive UK indie band The Sea. Released as a free download through their own Lusty Records, Shake Shake is sure to further fan the fires of acclaim which were ignited by their excellent new album and previous single the epic sounding New York.
Brothers Alex (vocals, drums) and Peter D’Chisholme (vocals, guitar, piano) are currently on a tour of the UK with selected dates supporting James Morrison scattered amidst them. The release of Shake Shake with its outstanding indie rock sounds is a fully infectious celebration to light up ears and to inspire more attention for their acclaimed and thrilling live shows.
The song rumbles from the first note with thumping beats from Alex alongside the eager guitar of Peter, his strokes electrified slices across the ear. With vocals as energised and enthused as the sounds, the song expands into an insatiable weave of classic blues rock and greedy indie pop. The chorus is instantly infectious and the energy of the song irresistible bringing a full and compulsive union with heart and limbs. As mentioned there is a full rock breath to the song which brings a flavouring of seventies psychedelic garage sounds, a n essence which is being re-invented by more and more bands either in their overall sound or as here in a particular track, and few have managed to capture and use it as impressively as The Sea.
Shake Shake is another fine example of the diversity and inventive command The Sea have with melodically flowing and energy charged songs in their varied forms. Impossibly catchy and irrepressibly addictive the song simply confirms The Sea as one of the most imaginative and exciting indie bands in the UK right now.
If you thought UK psychobilly was on the decline or started and ended with The Meteors and Demented Are Go then you would be very wrong for now we have a new pretender to the throne of P. Paul Fenech and Sparky in the dark princely shape of Dick Venom. Leading an equally mischievous band of hell’s rejects in The Terrortones they are a fresh, sexy and insatiable addition to the garage/rockabilly/psychobilly freakshows of the UK. We have the pleasure to enter the lair of Mr Venom to find out much more about the unsavoury quartet.
Hello and a big welcome to The RingMaster Review.
Could we start with finding out the history of the man Dick Venom?
Awwww, me? Well I was born in the swamps of the moon’s lagoons and hitched a comet tail to earth. Guess I landed on my ass because my behind which stung like a beehive had been hangin out the back of it for about a month. I dusted myself down, sprayed off a load of space debris and here I am.
When and where did the Terrortones become involved?
They just kinda came outta nowhere. I’d been riding high on jungle janes and ‘gator tails for a while when all of a sudden they hit me. Hell only knows what they were doing in my neck of the woods but damn they sounded good. SugarBeats was pounding on something like a thundercrack jackhammer, Vicky Twist and Wrex St.Clair just seemed to jump out at me with guns and guitars blazin’, they caught me unawares and all the hairs on my unmentionables seemed to jump up to attention.
Your music throws a mix of rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, psychobilly, and garage punk into a swamp of dirty mischief, what are the strongest influences to your sound musically and personally?
Musically? Anything that’s got a lil bit of something raw and a little bit of life to it, stick a little of the Devil there too and you got yourself a mix – from Raw Power era Stooges to N.Y Dolls to Batmobile to Standells hell… let’s throw some Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson in there for good measure too.
Personally? A lil carpet burn and heat rash and some rubber marks and whiplash and I reckons I just might be entertained
Nottingham is your home, how do you find it for you as an artist and band for opportunities and for finding fans for your insatiable wickedness?
Y’know it’s pretty good. It’s where we started playing and started getting support. And there are always plenty of people to satisfy my appetites. Though I might have to leave when the spate of quiffed up moonchild newborns all come tumblin’ out. Oops.
The band line-up has an uncanny look and feel of The Cramps, intentional or sheer fortune?
Now that can’t ever be a bad thing cannit? I mighta got some fashion tips from a few folk that I like and the Cramps might have been one of them but as for the rest of the ‘Tones – they’re the ones who make the music and they aint never come across the Cramps before getting told they play like them.
You have just had a launch show for new release RockinRollin VampireMan, was it as much of a riot and flesh fest as certain pictures portray?
Awww. Yes. Yes it was. It was every kinda fuckphonic filth that you mighta guessed it would be. Having four sets of jigglies spelling ‘We heart Dick!’ is something I won’t forget. Some people wanna see their name in lights? Seein’ mine on ladylumps will satisfy me fine.
The three track release is a dark beast of gratuitous pleasure, are the songs ones that have riled up audiences at live shows for a while or brand new for the single?
Hmmmm, a lil mix of both. ‘RockinRollin’ VampireMan’ is a pretty old one. ‘StickyPants Trance’, that just had to go on, hell when we first played that song some folk got so wet you coulda drowned toddlers in their pantyhose. ‘Lilly & the Killers’, well that was just a nice lil closer. None were written specifically for it but we try to record just as often as we can so there’s never much delay.
Though your songs often have a horror/movie fuelled theme one gets the sense from the passion you deliver them even in your own inimitable way that there are personal inspirations at play too?
Well I do like to bite.
RockinRollin VampireMan is an infectious almost anthem track, maybe a personal declaration too?
Well with that being the very first song on the very first single then I reckoned I better had set myself up. Aint nutin like an honest introduction.
The tracks sound actually reminds of the first split release the Meteors were involved with but also in a way of very early The Fall. Are these bands that you have a liking for?
Now the Fall I like – but… Really? The Fall? I might have to dig the old stuff out and compare.
(Note from us to Dick..check out How I Wrote Elastic Man).
Included on the single is the track Sticky Pants Trance. We have all had some of that in our lives but what inspired the song itself?
Once I got stuck in a crater of a hiphole and then I got thinkin’ how I got there. Now it can’t all be my fault that chicklets get transfixed in my stickypants trance can it? Guess it’s a curse I have to bare.
The CD comes with a great comic book sleeve, the artwork is excellent, who drew and wrote that?
You can find here in the video for StickyPants Trance, she’s the nurse that gets carted away at the end. She’s called Nurse Catatonic.
Once the dust for the single has settled what comes next and how long before the next release?
Gigs, leather, latex, shows, caber tossing, goat blowing, olive oil, friction burns, corsets, tattoos, tattoos of corsets, pictures of tattoos of corsets, burlesque queens and the odd dream of Dana Scully. Got a bunji clunge jump all lined up too – that’s a bunji jump and target practice all rolled up in one. Next release? Shall we say end of the year? Thinkin’ it might be a new song we’ve written that we so sensitively called ‘Get Fucked Up Good’. It’s a sweet little ditty ‘bout the pitfalls of lovin.
Many bands now seem to be disregarding releasing an album to instead bring a steadier stream of singles or EPs, is that something you may consider?
I think that might be the case. Every time we get a set of dynamite songs we’re gonna get them down and get ‘em out to the masses. If there’s demand for an album then hells yes we’ll do one. Plus this way our comic strip will get longer with every release.
With your diverse sound which fights being tagged how easy is it to find bills and bands to fit easy with your distinct show?
It’s working pretty well, ‘cus we got bits of rockabilly, bits of punk, bits of garage, psychobilly, gothabilly we get tied into a load of different scenes. I reckon people don’t just wanna see one thing at a gig so having a mix up does us some favours.
Is it harder to find gigs further afield than Nottingham with venues that do not know the band or is it the opposite and places you have spoilt that are then more resistant haha?
Can’t say we ever had much problem getting out and about – the more places and people we sweat on the better. I’m a sociable lil critter so I like t’ hound promoters and venues wherever I can. I’d say we play a different city every two weeks at the moment and I reckon I wanna do more. And I aint never trashed a stage or venue too bad to not get an invite to go back.
I can imagine many bands would stay away from sharing stages with you for fear of being blown away from your performances.
Well maybe, guess folks in the audience can only get so wet.
What have been the best gigs you have had to date and most memorable?
The single launch was something unforgettable and every time we play at 12Bar in Soho it’s like the best sticky hotbox homecoming you could ever imagine. Got a nice big break at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham about a year back too.
And the best forgotten?
Already forgotten.
It is hard to believe your gigs are just another show for people, you make sure one way or another they are unforgettable one imagines?
Well now that’s just me all over– unforgettable. And without any show then you may as well be sat at home with a record in your ears. You want something to get caught up in right?
Are there any boundaries or limits that have not been or you will not push in your shows?
Hmmmmmm… I mighta knocked my tooth out twice on a mike, split my lip so bad that I went to a vets right after the gig (I didn’t wanna wait all night at A&E). Think I broke a rib somehow too but I’d never do nuthin to hurt myself on purpose.
Thanks very much for sharing your time to talk with us, do you have any last thoughts you would like to share?
Yeah – I’m all outta whisky and my mouth is bone dry. But you probably had enough of me an mine – why don’t ya get down to a gig and share yours? Maybe check out our video too… www.dickvenom.com.
Finally Gillian Anderson? I know you would and will you share?
Will I share Gillian Anderson?! Oh Heeeeeeellllllllllllls No! That ET bustin buxom she queen is aaaall mine. Hands off ya hear me?
Warm, enthusiastic and completely magnetic, the debut single from Beat Seeking Missiles jumps all over the ear to offer riotous beats, melodically curved grooves, and insistent energy. ‘Break My Fall’/’Dr. Strangelove’ knows what it has and is unashamed in bringing it directly and openly to one’s senses. It has irrepressible blends of beat and surf rock coupled with garage and heartfelt rock ‘n’ roll to merge into a sound that brings sixties vaunt alongside punk attitude and garage rock honesty, it has unbridled dirty charisma.
Released on Dirty Water Records the single brings elements of the likes of The Stones, Bo Diddley, Link Wray and in some ways The Modern Lovers. For all the artists their music does remind of the Beat Seeking Missiles as evident on the single, has a distinctive rugged sound of their own, offering influences as spices to their thick spirited creations. The band is comprised of a pedigree many bands would drool for. There is Sir Bald Diddley (from the Wig Outs/Big Wigs/Alopecia Records), Mick Quinn (dB Band and founding member of Supergrass), Kid Wig (of the Wig Outs/Big Wigs), and Bruce Brand (Pop Rivets/Milkshakes/Thee Headcoats/Masonics), a collective that certainly with this first single combine their experience and attributes into a stimulating and very exciting proposition.
Lead track is ‘Break My Fall’, a sixties lined slice of electrified raw pop. Combining a feel of the Who and the Troggs with The Stooges and The Ramones, the track flows with spiky melodies, soaring Beatlesque harmonies and tenacious riffs. The song openly wants the ear captivated, thrusting a simple but eager driven riff through its centre to allow the guitars to bring scorched diversions and enterprise to the track. The song is an excellent introduction to the band but soon left in the shade by its partner track.
‘Dr. Strangelove’ or to give it the full title on the single sleeve, ‘Doctor Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Beat Seeking Missiles’, is a rumble upon the senses. Part rock ‘n’ roll, part rockabilly, and part sixties enthused blues, the track is monstrous. Its persistent beats are hypnotic and the vocals dogged, the mix recalling the likes of Reverend Horton Heat, Link Wray and at times Ray Campi, plus the punk essences of a Rocket From the Crypt, It is wonderful stuff that gets better with the explosive melodic crashes and cascades within the song. The track plays with an arrogance and self belief that is irresistible and easily confirms that this is a band one needs to hear more of and go see live.
Beat Seeking Missiles are an instinctive need for your musical day, simple as that. Just trust and go listen to this single for your proof.
RingMaster 08/02/2012
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Music and Liverpool simply goes together as obviously as any renowned duo, whether salt and pepper or Jedward and the toilet bowl, some things just are instinctively linked. The city’s music scene has spawn more than its share of great bands and legends and constantly throws more out to the world year after year. The Loud is one of the latest and the best to emerge recently, the trio from the Wirral producing music that has the unique quality of inducing nostalgia whilst having one of the freshest sounds currently being heard. June 20th sees the release of the single Amy’s Gonna Get You on 7” onvinyl and downloadfollowed not too long after by their debut album Harris Shutter, both on Liverpool independent Payper Tiger Records.
A self released sampler in 2010 saw heads turning their way further from home but with the release of their six track burst of garage psychedelic fuzz beat there will be a concentrated wave of enthusiastic interest without doubt. Their sound is an amalgam of various influences and shared loves of long time friends, guitarist and vocalist Pennington Lee and bassist Matthew Freeman. From such flavours as T-Rex, Velvet Underground, and 13th Floor Elevators to Jesus and The Mary Chain and The Black Angels there are familiar touches but all interpreted and then completely enhanced by the band’s own unique perspective with sound. Joined by drummer Leroy Oxton, The Loud are lighting up the music world with some of the most intuitive and senses stirring sounds, fusing instinctive melodies to scuzzed up garage post punk attitude.
‘Amy’s Gonna Get You’ opens the album and instantly one knows this is the start of a special ride. It saunters along swinging its wares against a throbbing bassline and firm drum beat. Lee’s vocals are earnest in their warning but also giving a sense of excited anticipation over the lady in question. The track is a joy, its distorted stroll engagingly addictive. A strong start that is instantly taken higher by the awesome ‘Horrorscope’, from its recognisable guitar opening, though from where eludes, the song stomps all over most music currently doing the rounds. Freeman’s bass rumbles majestically with moody belligerence as the guitars grind and chatter to give the track a neat punk feel.
A Little Taste of Home steps forward next sounding like a meeting of Jesus and The Mary Chain and the Pixies. Attitude soaked it simply stares you in the face and delivers a sentiment that one can interpret to their own current state of mind and place in the world. The Bolanesque There’s A Bomb In The House with its warm and familiar fuzzy glam rock feel equipped with T-Rex backup melodic vocal, sways into view next swiftly followed by the slow blues emotive Avida Dollars. This track and the psychedelic haunt of Magic that closes the release, bring a more soulful and effectively simple and slower pace to the album and if any criticism could be made of Harris Shutter it is that it ends on a marked downbeat that the replacing of one or both these tracks in the album’s song order will have avoided but as always it is down to a personal feel and not a fault.
Produced by Ross Halden (Wild Beasts, The lucid Dream), Harris Shutter is a wonderfully stunning release that on each play grows and elevates higher in opinion. Vocalist Lee quoted on the album “Harris shutter has been a labour of love. We had a great time making it and a better time doing all the things that it’s about. It’s worth all the shit gigs when you finally have the record in your hands. The way it’s all come together, the way it looks feels and sounds, I couldn’t have asked for any better, and couldn’t have asked for a better group of people than those who have been working on it. It’s pretty special man.” That sums up the release perfectly; you would be a fool to not listen to the creator and the album itself.
One With The Devil has a slightly slower stride to its gait but a more imposing weight and tone as it as good as prowls the senses. A glorious hook within a superhero essence captures the imagination as swiftly as the magnetically firm beats of Robin Lindqvist court the instincts to rock ‘n’ roll. Like Eagles Of Death Metal meets Helldorado yet not, the song is pure rock alchemy, a primal solicitation of the passions snarling away with increasing potency
song has attention and appetite instantly in its hands right away as a skittish air only adds to its compelling aural smile. London life has never been so warmly and magnetically shown but it is just the start. Both guests add their distinctive and captivating vocal adventures to the invigorating stroll, it all leading to a croon of a chorus which surely no one can resist. The track is spellbinding leaving a huge grin on heart and face and pleasure ready for what is to follow.
