THE HAIR are from York. They have been getting close … but this fully on-line release really hits something bang in the middle.
Rather than hold them up against the light for comparison with the Leeds' Dance to the Radio phalanx, I think you would get a better measure of THE HAIR'S quality by thinking over towards THE MAKE UP or JON SPENSER'S BLUES EXPLOSION. But really funky. With added weirdness and souped-up indie disco floor-filling potential. It could hardly be better.
Sam Robson's voice is rasping and soulful and loud. When he sings he rushes up to the brink and leans right over. It sounds giddy and extreme, but it covers the notes, it keeps the energy going and the phrasing is good.
The riffs and beats and squeezed-in extra noises are inventive, intelligent and full of craft. I'm astonished really. If this is what the young ones are up to these days, then I take back everything I said. THE HAIR do make a lovely racket, but they do it with style and they do it with easily carried virtuosity – as performers and as studio wizards (producer Guy Thomas take a bow).
Each of the four tracks is built on a different rhythmic foundation. It's definitely dance music, each of the four tracks getting a fresh groove going. "Brick Supply" is straight from the heart, simple and punky shouty "Oh my God I can’t do anything right!" will ring a few bells. The big swirly organ and industrial guitar line will keep the moshpit going for as long as they play. "Left Foot Right Foot" is a mutant heavy metal song with a sexy back beat and funky guitar line – every bit stolen from somewhere sacred, but welded back together for serious dancing fun. Even down to the hands in the air backline-on-standby chorus.
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Jigsaw Ballard starts off like an 80s cheeky chappie song of life in Stoke Newington. Plonk plonk piano and tub thumping percussion. Then the Killer Guitars move in and it could be the early foothills of Queen. (He's still thumping away though, so you don't need to break your pogoing stride)
"Bunny Boiler" shifts it one more time. It starts with Richard Shaw snarling his lines from Jaws and bursts into a low down shuffle tune with teeth that drives along like a love truck. Huge tribal drums, a searing guitar riff and some righteously fine organ stabs. "I'm gonna boil ya" they shout. And it sounds like they mean it.
This isn’t like TOM VEK, But if you've absorbed what he's doing, try THE HAIR. There are connections that are as interesting as the divergences.
www.hairmusic.co.uk
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