Labels: Dire
Review by: Andy Malcolm
On which the Sceptres continue to play a form of post-punk rock influenced from ye olden days. I probably ought not to be reviewing this, given that I have no idea how to appear like a cool dude by comparing them to some band with one 7″ from 1979. Instead you will have to tolerate my inept descriptions and fumbling on a level only witnessed by fans of Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. “Childsplay” is a repetitious lurcher of a song, moodily rumbling, whilst Bryony Beynon wails away mightily and the guitars snake around laboriously. I like it. The b-side is called “Job Centre Plus” so I guess they have been hanging out with Hygiene. It’s a little more anxious, but features further wails. Dire’s own website describes this record as downbeat and dirgey. They are right, I think I preferred them a bit more when they were more dayglo and less goth, but this is still pretty cool.
Apparently Sceptres have given up the ghost (wait, that joke would work better if they were called Spectres). I wonder who will pick up the baton? (that vaguely works.)