Labels: Audacious Art Experiment
Review by: Alex Hannan
COWTOWN have been inspiring the Leeds DIY scene to get its dancing pants on for some time now, distributing bouncy and nimble new wave tunes like party treats. “Dudes vs. bad dudes”, their third LP, feels like an attempt to focus their ideas-rich but occasionally scattershot previous work into a set of 10 bangers, a consolidation of their strengths. Noticeably, they’re more frequently (and gleefully) hitting ideas drawn from 80’s synth-pop and rock, as in “Nightbeats” or “Ski school”. The drums / synth / guitar / vocals lineup lends itself readily to this kind of sound, and here as ever the synth occupies a crucial role, handling all the basslines and giving them a range of inflections that might not occur to a four-stringed player, while the guitar moves from reverbed out chords to twitchy, lithe solo work.
The day-glo tuneage on show coexists with a frequently technical approach to rhythm and metre. I’m pretty sure I remember trying to dance to “Animals” while heavily refreshed the last time I saw COWTOWN, and the sections in 11/8 were a challenge. That they manage to turn that awkward timing into something you feel you should be able to boogie to is a definite feat. This is one of the sunniest songs of the album – keyboardist Hilary takes lead vocals for a guitar-doubled refrain of “in the garden I see animals / I will try to touch and feed them”. The tremolo-heavy guitar and crafted arrangement occasionally, and unexpectedly, recall a less baroque GRIZZLY BEAR.
Whereas previous albums tended to feature fun, lightweight lyrics, here there’s frequently a darker lyrical approach corroding the sparkle “” in the absence of a lyric sheet this could pass a casual listener by, but the strongest songs on the album turn out to explore less cheerful territory than might be expected. The narrator of “Love is a lie” is a fly on the wall of an unhealthy relationship: “I saw your baby knock you to the floor / and I saw you get up and go back for more / [“¦] I need to know, why there’s a smile upon your face / and blood dripping from your eye / Your love is a lie”. “Monotone face” and “Nightbeats” have a barbed undercurrent, and whatever unwelcome visitor inspired “I’ve heard enough” has ended up with a side 1, track 1 putdown “” “you’re knocking down my door / with your second hand information / acting tough above your station / I’ve heard enough.”
The LP’s first side has a lot of strong songs on it, and impressive rhythmic and stylistic diversity, but the best one-two of the record occurs either side of the break. “Monotone face” uses a variant of the classic “My Sharona” octave bassline to build a song that uses only one note for the majority of its two minutes (geddit?). And it’s catchy as hell. “Nightbeats” kicks off the second side with a lost 80’s skatesploitation movie theme that just edges it out as the pick of the bunch. The album’s closing songs don’t quite have the same momentum, coming across more as danceable, functional live numbers than ones you would whistle after the gig. “S.Y.P.S” brackets a midtempo core with two faster segments, some interesting modal melodies not really saving the centre of the song from dragging. The funk tinged “Ski school” has an especially squelchy bassline but doesn’t really stick in the memory.
I’m looking forward to seeing them play again, having immersed myself in this album for a bit, and it deserves to get them wider attention. We’ll see”¦