Steeped in classic rock history, bass-heavy and pop happy. This is a collection of 14 demos from Southport sensations BOBHOWLA, the brainchild of duo Howard Doup and Rob Beattie.
‘It’s A Fineline’ sets their stall out emphatically. A reworking of familiar structures, acoustic guitar and lazy beats, spiced up with xylophone, harmonica and innovative percussion: farfisa sounds add psychedelic touches, along with oddly endearing vocal harmonies.
‘Million $ Man, again, has a strong undercurrent and solid sensibilities – these are songs first and foremost, and that is always going to be enough.
AS 80’s flirtations bring a synth driven tint to other songs, it’s like the heyday of the Top Of The Pops video single countdown all over again.
‘Tiptoe’ is alive with the sound of the subway. Looping refrains, echoing whistles and hurdy-gurdy piano all precede the sound of the brushes as the beat shuffles in. It’s waltzing melancholic, and right on the money. Soulful vocals brim with desperation as the tune flowers around it, as absent-minded high keys crown this absorbing tune beautifully all the way to it’s wah-infused climax.
‘Slow Feeling’ is anything but – an electric, surging, bubbling pulse races eyes closed with some harder beat building as the record spirals up and out. Percussive craziness now sounds like a spoon hitting a milk bottle as the layers of guitar drive onwards. The same urgent vocals spill pure emotion in the midst of howling feedback. It hit every switch along the way, and made my eyes light up and my soul hang heavy.
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Unbelievably, the quality tunes roll on, past the brass-thickened ‘Stick With Yer Baby’ – where beautiful guitar harmonies cascade to perfection, to ‘Do You Do See’, featuring loop upon loop of harmonies as distant gunshots reverberate deep in the mix. Farfisa dreamlike, this is pure pop for the soul, tinted with shards of reality.
The marching madness of ‘Never Faded Away’ is a grunged out and experimental rolling stone complete with momentum gathering cymbal crescendos. It’s clear that this pop duo could be the best thing to come out of Southport since Marc Almond.
‘Forever Close’ reminds us once more of their strengths, slowed down bright acoustic harmonies, atonal strangeness like a creaking door. It’s all here, awaiting you patiently. Superb it is, you must give it a listen.
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