Labels: Boss Tuneage
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I’m quite happy to be doing a review of a band that features a former member of Hooton 3 Car, and a former member of Broccoli too. Crikey! Certainly caught me on the hop when I read the press release. This little seven tracker effort is Bitter Pills’ debut release, and has found a natural home on Boss Tuneage. It’s a touch hit and miss in places, feeling like perhaps these guys are still finding their feet together. The opening track is a lovely instrumental that’s just waiting to explode into vocals, it just never quite does. After that you get some pretty poppy indie rock, with Chris Petty’s familiar vocals fitting the music well, in particular “Null Pointer” sounds just like a Hooton track gone a fair bit poppier. Things are a little fuzzy, a touch Swerverdriver perhaps, mixed in with some sweeping US college rock sounds. I am not sure if being more or less polished would suit it best, it kind of falls in the middle somewhere and I think that’s where it loses out somewhat. I do think this is a grower, the songs are certainly not instant, it kind of reminds me a bit of what Eric Richter tried to do with the 101 too – talented people looking to branch out a little and do something new with the old familiar sound, it comes out pretty well but it’s not quite there yet. I am damned sure I’d really enjoy these guys live, and that they have something in them in this vein that will hit the sweet spot. Whilst this EP is certainly worth your time if you ever slapped on some Hooton or Broccoli and miss the 90s, I think Bitter Pills aren’t quite there yet, and there is plenty more to come from these chaps.