Labels: 1922 Recordings – Beekeeper Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Here’s a band who’ve been beavering away for quite some time now without really garnering the attention they deserve, so it’s nice that they’ve gotten around to giving us an LP. They’ve certainly come across for some time as a band more than capable of delivering a solid full length and Pique proves to be exactly that, with 11 songs of UK indiemo in the traditional vein of Spy vs Spy, amongst others. Ever since the Spies, there’s always been at least one band out there eager to pick of the mantle of playing intricate math / jazz influenced jams, throwing sung and shouted vocals into the mix. This makes for hectic songs full of nervy energy. The math that A&A deal in is entirely more palatable to me than the other direction this sound has spun off to. Action & Action do not set out to dazzle you with their guitar technique, everything is structured entirely for song writing purposes, and they understand that what is important here is the groove. The mother fucken groove. And whilst songs may fly off the handle one moment only to soothe the next, at each moment the bass and drums are in use, they are ensuring that the listener has something to focus on, to help you remain on the right page. Then you get songs like “A Tough Year” which really help them stand out, this a real belter with guitar muscle and smarts blending together, recalling the likes of early Giants Chair mixed with the first Van Pelt LP. I love the bubbling guitar sound on here. And the waltzy guitar on the rather fine “If You Want Something Done Right, DIY” is right off the Bells on Trike 10″. I like that song title. Those elements also pop up elsewhere on the LP, helping construct an exciting and enjoyable album that grows on me each time I spin it.
This probably is the best attempt at this sound in this country I have heard since Long Live, which is no mean feat. There are moments where it does perhaps get a little too self indulgent, but if intelligent, mathy emo is what gets you going then you ought to be listening to this record already, for it’s a good ‘un.