In recent months W&H have been actively championing the undervalued UK roots-rock music scene, essentially trying to divert some of the monopolised attention away from the continuing (and on the whole, welcome) influx of North American alt.country.
Detractors will no doubt talk about ‘coals to Newcastle’ but that is somewhat missing the point and is a viewpoint that ignores the two-way traffic of music history. It was after all The Beatles and The Stones who sold Rhythm ‘n’ Blues back to its homeland in a more palatable form, the latter (and in particular Brian Jones) actively championing the originators at any and every opportunity on primetime TV. Soapbox history lessons aside, we should just be grateful that the UK music scene throws up new talent in any genre from anywhere, although the roots-rock/alt.country scene does seem to be the one that is consistently revealing new song-writing talent that – to these ears – is becoming a marginalised commodity in other arenas.
All of which leads me to THE TAILORS whose revelatory debut single ‘A New Hairdo’ brings to mind a plethora of songwriters from over the pond - names like Will Oldham, Jay Farrar, Gram Parsons, Beck and Evan Dando - but has the good sense to allow their flavours to blend and mature in the barrel before allowing consumption. In other words as influential as these artists are the most important aspect of THE TAILORS is that they sound like themselves. That, and the fact that the single represents only the third release from indie label Trash Aesthetic, but as the first two were by BLOC PARTY and THE RAKES it’s hard to ignore the barometric significance that may well be apportioned to this latest venture.
A great part of the immense charm of THE TAILORS’ single is the effortless manner in which both songs reveal their strength and beauty; there are no gimmicks, mannerisms or quirky pastiche here: this is the real deal, straight down the line. ‘A New Hairdo’ is a wonderfully droll account of falling out of love with someone who is changing before your eyes (“Your evolution is splitting us in two”) and contains some of the richest image-strewn lyricism I’ve heard for a while: “My love for you is like a photograph/Of nameless relations, forgotten compadres / When I look, you’re hardly even there”. Couple that with the dead-pan delivery of the chorus, “Well I got disappointed you got a new hairdo / To hide the stumps where the horns grow”.
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My unequivocal goodwill towards this package is now beyond question and is further rewarded when I realise the significance of the single’s cover to the opening line of the song; the press release reinforces my sentiments by relating that this comes to you “lovingly handmade”.
So what else do we have? The arrangement is simple acoustic guitar, bass and drum but the colour and texture is provided by Adam Kilip’s ‘mature beyond his years’ bruised vocals and the tender caress of the pedal-steel guitar. The high quality of the whole artistry on display extends to the delicious flipside ‘Backslap Club’ that blossoms from its strong foundations with a brief but mightily impressive closing passage of pedal-steel guitar solo, underpinned by the song’s carefree ‘strum and stomp’ arrangement: something for lazy summer days with the car windows down.
Well worth visiting their website to pick up two free download songs ‘Diamonds’ and ‘All We Talk About’ that provide yet more compelling evidence. You’ll also have to get your skates on if you want a copy of the single as only 500 will be printed.
And in case I’ve waffled you to distraction I’ll be blunt: this is sheer class from top to tail and will be in my top 10 for 2005.
www.thetailors.org
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