Pic Dave Cox
If its predecessor, Skipping Over Damaged Area, was an exploration and echo of the “apocalyptic destruction and devolution of the planet we live on”, then You Know The Drill is the bold new adventure in its escape; a sci-fi toned tapestry of intrigue and contagion wrapped in sounds which just infiltrate and enliven the body and imagination.
You Know The Drill is the new creative exploit from Scant Regard, the solo project of Will Crewdson; guitarist/musician/songwriter previously acclaim notorious for his work with Rachel Stamp, Adam Ant, The Selecter, Johnette Napolitano, Bow Wow Wow, and Flesh for Lulu as well as currently one half of the equally irresistible She Made Me Do It. It is an encounter which still sows its seeds in the decay and destruction of the modern world but within its body ventures into the hope and relief brought through space lit, sci-fi cultured escapades. Crewdson’s previous offering, the deviously magnetic Skipping Over Damaged Area, felt like the corruption of hope and light by a creeping darkness. You Know The Drill is the reverse in many ways, bringing light and respite to the sunless breath of the world; both encounters casting trips of sonic poetry and rich intimation drenched in uncompromising infectiousness.
You Know The Drill opens up with Ulterior Motives, electronic pulsing instantly nagging on ears and attention before rhythms collude to pitch immediate contagion upon the senses. In swift time Crewdson’s vocals join the hungry enterprise, the knowing deception of the song’s sarcasm springing greater catchiness by the second before saving its thickest dose of virulence for the delicious throaty bass led groove which breaks out.
The album’s title track follows, blues liquor fuelling its opening flames before a surf kissed breeze courts the controlled but pungent rhythms at its core. As the opener sprung a lure of descriptive intimation in its sound alone so its instrumental successor weaves an even more stirring sonic tale of drama and suggestion to play with before No More follows suit with its shadow wrapped stroll into ears and thoughts. Again every hook carries creative revelation for the imagination to conjure with; the track nurtured in the same suggestive espionage and danger which marked the best themes tunes of sixties and seventies TV shows such as UFO, Space: 1999, The Avengers or The Prisoner.
Its dark temptation is followed by the thickly enticing lures of Projectile Comet, bait which erupts in another of those riveting hooks and grooves which Crewdson has proven so irresistible and diabolical with across the years. The intergalactic hue of the track brings threat and adventure, the concussive rhythms at its heart chased by voracious riffs and intoxicating grooves in a mix which hungrily got under the skin, an infiltration being quickly replicated by the post punk incident that is the outstanding Calamity’s Creation. Bass and guitar unite to project an instant infiltration of theatre and seduction, vocals riding the groove wired hook lined incitement with matching lust bugging enterprise. There is something of The Monochrome Set to the track at times, the scent of Lester Square creative prowess aligning to the inimitable craft and imagination of Crewdson as another momentous moment within the album is cast.
The swarthy southern hues of Nevertheless bring another hug of instrumental suggestion straight after, ears and thoughts united in their swift embrace while both A Process of Illumination and Charmed I’m Sure share thick fascination with their respective electronic web of insinuation and industrial rock incitement, the latter a piece as aggressively imposing as it is mentally manipulating.
Rogue Prototype similarly draws on industrial instincts, its cyber hull the host for pop tempting and dark post punk menace. The track proved pure fascination in its breath and imputation, suspicion and drama soaking every note boiling and erupting in its tempestuous body before leaving Heart Torn Blood Ratio to bring the gripping release to a close. Melancholic beauty and solemn radiance coat every second of the brooding serenade as darker heavier throes of enterprise rumble in its depths; the track an enthralling end to an album which danced with the imagination and provoked eager attention from start to finish with rich pleasure the outcome.
Look up the definition of fascination and you find the likes of captivation, attraction, intrigue, magnetism and obsession as similar meanings and all thickly apply to the also gloriously art wrapped You Know The Drill, Scant Regard’s greatest moment yet.
You Know The Drill is out now digitally and on blue vinyl effect CD @ https://scantregard.com/store and https://scantregard.bandcamp.com/album/you-know-the-drill
http://www.scantregard.com https://www.facebook.com/scantregardpage https://twitter.com/scantregard https://www.youtube.com/user/willcrewdson
Pete RingMaster 29/02/2020
Copyright RingMasterReview: MyFreeCopyright
The rousing start is only accentuated by Fun and Games, a track which lit up the airwaves with its uncaging as one of last year’s best singles. A calm but keenly coaxing electronic pulse dances in ears first; it’s subdued but apparent skittishness soon surrounded by a contagion of air splattering beats and attention burrowing hooks, it all courted by the delicious dark bassoon-esque grumble of the bass. The infection loaded stroll is soon equipped with greater temptation as Dax brings her perpetual craft and captivation, alt pop and punk insisting on uniting with the track’s rock instincts to dig deeply and relentlessly under the skin.
Alongside and around it, the goodness is just as potent as epitomised by tracks like I’ve Had Enough and Superslider from Tagas and Venus Overload respectively. The first is a lively simmer of electro pop rock, a bubbling slice of melodic radiance echoed in similarly warm vocals, a track which just nags at the senses with its teasing harmonics. Tagas is a solo project, an intimate exploration and reflection of its creator and the track here an embrace of melancholy and warmth with a great early Depeche Mode hue to its temptation. The second of the two is a band which released a self-titled album back in 2012 from which their contribution to the sampler comes. Their sound is a collusion of experimental and noise rock, a challenging and rewarding mix which had us mesmerised. It is raw, abrasive and persistently compelling with a great whiff of Buñuel to it.
The following Broken Morning is a just as skilful manipulator of ears and appetite even as it instantly reveals a much warmer and calmer nature. That is no chain to an instinctive catchiness and creative eagerness though, the song devilishly impossible to resist joining in with especially when faced with one contagion laded chorus and again a swinging energy which enlivens the body and spirit of song and listener alike. There is something, if right now indefinably, familiar to the track but a hue which only adds to its compelling design and persuasion.
The album opens up with the swiftly addictive Mostly Accidental, electric pulses exploding on impact as it swaggers into view with an almost predacious swing. Instantly electronic suggestion and animation dances and flirts on the senses, thick doomy hues underlining the brewing Westworld-esque imagery conjured in thoughts by the instrumental piece which fully comes alive once Crewdson’s guitar explodes on the imagination.