Labels: Deep Elm
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Why? I love to make this point, you’re probably bored of it, but I’m going to make it again. Why is nearly every UK indie rock band so lilly livered that they can’t use riffs like Triplefastaction do to open up with “Pure”? The only one I can think of that does rock it up a bit is Radiohead, but their singer is so bloody whiny that you want to shoot him with a dart gun. Oh, and maybe Foil, but you categorise them as solely indie rock at your peril.
This is quite a neat album. The ‘action chug out some really rocking numbers, slide in some slower efforts in between, and harbour a slight obsession with the word ‘hero’. Opening song “Pure” is an absolute blast, how an indie rock band would sound if it borrowed a Groop Dogdrill bassline. Singer Wes Kidd is adept at flicking from indie boy to shouty boy as necessary and this all makes for a standout song. I just love the part where it all stops and then drums come back – it sounds slightly cool. TFA are adept at putting neat touches in there such as “I’m Ready” which has a weird rock ‘n’ roll flavour to it. And there is the slightly grungey “Duck and Run” that has an awesome bass, though it starts off sounding like pre-“If you tolerate this…” Manic Street Preachers.
The slower stuff is rather good too. Occasionally their use of guitar and the softness of Kidd’s voice on tracks like for the first minute of “If” hints at Christie Front Drive. That song erupts into a lumbering rock number mind. “Eurogirl” is similar. “The Rescue” has an awesome slowed down and vocalled section on it that is soooo Honeycrack it’s frightening.
Though they try to pretend otherwise, TFA are a pop band at heart. Just listen to the slowness and bass thumping of “Heroes”. Yeah, yeah, so there are some guitar squeals in there, but this would go down well at a stadium full of people with cigarette lighters, particularly on the chorus. And “Bearer Of Bad News” is radio friendly like REM.
There are better bands on Deep Elm, but in no way do the ‘action suck. One for indie rockers who like their emphasis on rock. Would sound good at a *very* loud volume.