Of National Importance Records are starting to show that they’re worthy of their name. While focusing on acts in their Barnsley locale, they’ve already managed to seek out bands of an extremely high calibre. There’s also something of a house style emerging, with a leaning toward darker indie with a post-punk edge. Barnsley-based Aztec Doll could be their best find yet, and in capturing the zeitgeist reflected by the likes of Savages in their harking back to the early days of goth, they’ve surly got the potential to break through. They got my attention with what appears to be a picture of William Burroughs on the back of the EP’s eye-watering cover, of course. Better thank making all the right references, though, is the fact they make all the right noises, too.
Lead track ‘Endlessly’ finds singer Roxanna Mitchell by turn delicately haunting and scathingly sharp as she assets her dominance over an insistent and atmospheric guitar line. As much Skeletal Family or Ghost Dance as Siouxsie or The Cure, Aztec Doll have definitely got the goth-tinged post-punk sound nailed. ‘Suddenly I’m Outside myself’ is misty and wistful, while closer ’Flower’ is brooding, sulky and sultry, a snarling bass punching through the shrieking guitars. ‘Don’t need you, baby… I need to be free’ Roxanna sneers. It’s a masterful brush-off and a cracking close to an exciting debut.
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