Brand new split release here from two lesser known lights in the UK indie rock scene. And pretty hefty it is too, clocking in at 33 minutes over six tracks. Both bands get three songs each, should have been a split 12″ really as the split CD format is horrible, but hey, vinyl doesn’t sell to UK kids who’re into this stuff. Buy a record player, you fools! (this is not meant to be a dig at the label who put this out, sorry).
Stars Rain Down are the first band up, playing their three moody, mellow, lengthy, gruff dual vocalled rock. It doesn’t quite pay off. The songs are a little lacking in energy and drive. They sort of fall half way between Hot Water Music, and HWM spin-off band, the Blacktop Cadence (who made one of the last great emo-indie records of the 90s). They rely on a very samey, Dischordant guitar sound that stands out too much in the music and begins to get annoying due to the mid-pace of the songs and its prominence in the mix, especially on the chuggy ‘Close Book When Striking’. I don’t know really, this sort of stuff really washes over me and leaves me un-bothered, but I know a lot of people are into it. You’ll probably be down with what they are doing if you’re a fan of Deep Elm’s releases. Hmm.
Meanwhile, the other band…
I saw the Green Acre last summer at an all dayer out in the countryside, and they were pretty damn impressive! Nothing out of the ordinary, but I enjoyed their set a lot. Again, they are playing a pretty standard indie rock, you have to think the more upbeat Mineral stuff crossed with Braid. It’s all about the whiney vocals and lots of stop-start rhythms, mixed in with intricate guitar noodling. This is what they are up to, nice and catchy, melodic poppy stuff to swing your hips too, without them ever getting sickeningly sweet. They are capable of throwing in masterful breakdowns at exactly the right moment. I love the drumming on this record, it’s really involved and mixes things up an awful lot, which, a long with the superb instrumentation is what I think makes them stand out from a million and one other bands that play this style. A lot of bands this good at playing are simply instrumental bands, but the Green Acre added vocals to it. Which makes a change. Sure, they have the standard guitar tunings that are rife in this genre, and a fondness for the beloved twinkle-jangle, but it’s all carried off with aplomb. The UK is over-run with weak, samey indie rock bands right now (Summer Book Club, Copperpot Journals – ugh) and these guys are showing them how to be more interesting. If you like this style, these guys will knock ya sox off.
Get this for the Green Acre, unless you are familiar with SRD and like what they do.