Since Long Live have seemingly vanished into the ether, there needs to be a new band to step into the void and do the emo/indie thing supremely well in the UK. Who will be the new royalty? Bands such as Itch and Pictures Paint Words are lurking in the twilight, looking for an opportunity to nick the crown for themselves and prance around wearing ermine and ordering loyal subjects around, saying things such as “Flunky! Fetch me my shoes!”
Itch’s sound revolves around playful guitars with the mathy melodies and slight jazziness that several UK bands have attempted to get to work ever since that first Spy vs Spy cd blew us collectively away. Not that many succeed sadly, but Itch appear to have the same grasp of the style that the Green Acre achieved. This means you get a boatful of delightfully melodic and swaying songs that don’t overburden you with fiddly complexity or noodleage. It’s the sound of summer that people with an appreciation for the Spies, Braid or Cap’n Jazz will almost certainly enjoy. And I count myself amongst that group. The only real negative for me is the vocals, which I find too strained and too prominent in the mix, and it makes me think of Rydell which is a real no no!! It’s a shame, as the music is really, really accomplished, the songs have a great flow and structure, but the vocals are always going to prevent me from loving this record as much as that memorable Spy vs Spy ep for example.
That said, it still is a really good record, the songs are mighty fine, and hopefully you will be into the vocals more than I. I’m able to overlook them anyway and still appreciate this, which is a mark of how good the songs are. Anyone who misses the Spies or enjoyed the Green Acre would be well served in at least checking this out, because there is a high chance you’ll love it.