Labels: Audio Anti-Hero
Review by: Andy Malcolm
When this arrived for review I gave it a cursory listen I and put this aside, clearly I had seen something in it. But now it’s several months later as I went through another blank writing spell and I have only vague recollections of the thing. Re-visiting it now, I can certainly see why I bagsied it in the first place.
The first song on the record is a really nice slice of indie rock / pop and it really goes down quite well, before firing into the bouncy “Fucking”. Very clever song title. It’s kind of like a cross between the Beach Boys and Cap’n Jazz with frantic vocals and jangling guitars. It’s right up my street. Throughout the course of this album I can detect plenty of classic 60s and 70s AM radio rock influences (I’m not going to try and name any for fear of looking well stupid, although “Knocking on the Door” definitely sounds a bit like Supertramp). The album is noticeably varied, but also stylistically balanced. They don’t hurtle between extremes, rather playing with different elements of their sound, almost testing out the possibilities. When not being too wilfully experimental they manage to pull it off, showing off a smart knack for writing interesting indie rock in a world full of dreadfully dull and safe indie rock bands. Whilst there are a few mis-steps (“King Kong” – no ta), they are forgiveable. I wondered if the self-effacing album title was perhaps partly chosen for reviewers, but it’s pleasing to report that it is not remotely correct.
Although it doesn’t sound like the Wrens, I get the feeling that this might be a band you enjoy if you also like the Wrens, given that it offers up some smart and fascinating independent rock music. Check it out.