This is pretty meaty rock with no frills. Tim Crosby, vocals; Colin Lomas, bass; Richard Beniston, guitar; James Rixon drums. London or thereabouts. That's it really.
Tim's torn up voice (with heart) and the band's tight playing make it a cut above your standard Friday night local band. The writing pays attention to general sound and distinctiveness. Each tune has something in a guitar line or a chorus that lets you know its different to the others. "Please Stop/Don't Stop" is pretty clever, with several different guitar intrusions and some nifty swerves that avoid the death knell of being called "angular" while poking your muso button enough to be interesting.
The intro to "Black Meat Parlour" lets the side down a bit by plodding through the notes from a set of portentous chords in groups of three ... heralding . furrowed brows and drama to come. Led Zeppelin have lot to answer for.
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But when "Rewards For Informers" comes in like THE CULT'S "She Sells Sanctuary" you have to forgive them. They're so much better at eyes-wide, wired-up breathless excitement.
Overall production lags a bit, with some uncertainty about how to build and develop a tune so that the senses keep getting reeled as each verse comes in. With half the ten songs going over the four minute (never mind three minute) threshold this is makes for a slightly heavy pudding on a full album.
Stone Roses have been mentioned. Possibly because of a misguided wah wah pedal tendency (see "Centerville", their single). But they are more mainstream rock and less THE MUSIC than that would suggest. It's tidy stuff and definitely worth another look.
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