A group that continue to surprise with a twist around every corner. Less than a year ago this was a trio with one seriously exciting, if inconsistent, lead singer and guitarist with an ego the size of the Tay. Now, into 2008, they're a seriously exciting and pretty well consistent quartet with a lead singer and guitarist with an ego the size of the Grand Canyon - but, being serious, it's as much about confidence in the band and its playing as much as anything to do with himself. So, what's the band got that makes this so justified an attitude to take?
The answer is summed up (almost) on this brand new CD-EP, their first offering to be recorded in a "proper" studio and with the resultant excellent quality sound that you'd expect. The first thing you notice about the songs onthe CD are (a) how razor sharp they sound with all the instruments at absolute clarity, and (b) how upfront the vocals are. Now I say this because I've been so used to hearing this band with that kind of wall-of-sound approach to the songs, and to hear everything in such clear terms, initially came as a bit of a surprise. BUt it all makes sense after one play as you can't help but get ignited by the four tracks on here. The balance between hearing the songs as songs and achieving the sound of what's essentially a roaring rock band, has been maintained throughout, so that at no time, does one outweigh the other.
The EP opens witht he title track as a cymbal splash leads into this dirty guitar riffs that accelerates as the rhythm section explodes into life and the whole thing thunders along with Kyle Milne's vocals really letting go in a down and dirty, impassioned, hollered way, delivering the lyrics with force as Gareth Ferguson's riffs steam along and the drums and bass from Owen Guthrie and Paul Milne respectively, twist and turn down the driving path the track takes. A brief guitar break takes you back into the song and headlong to the end. Barely without a pause it's into the massive sounding stomping riff from the guitars, bass and drums, almost worthy of mid-seventies Zeppelin, that opens the mighty "Strip Bar", the riff acting as hook, while the vocals surge ahead on top and lead guitar punctuations breathe extra life into the track. Shortly we hear the vocal hook and this only adds to the weight of the heavy riffing that rolls and rocks at intervals, the dynamics of th piece as important as it's power, and one mighty song, for sure. A more accelerated guitar riff opens "The Heist" before things dive and soar as the rhythm section swings into life, the guitars veer from scorching to tasty and back again, while the verses are delivered with venom, and the chorus still sticks in your head as it always has done, on one of their most enduring and catchy songs. Sung with forece, played with intensity and driven by an infectious hook, this is a slice of driving rock that hits the spot every time. The final track, "Rock 'n' Roll" (no, not THAT one - a band original instead) is a solid song that lurches and drives with a bluesy-metal influence hanging overhead, remains as strong as what's gone before, and wheels its way down the highway taking you along with it, another spirited vocal performance over stabbing guitar riffs, a searing lead break and ever dependent rhythm section work.
Overall, you can't really pigeon-hole this - it's not heavy metal as such, it's certainly more rock than indie and yet the songwriting and arranging is way more akin to the more potentially commercial ends of an indie spectrum. Simply, solid songs played with rock power, commercial accessibility and indie intensity, all of which adds up to one surefire gem of a CD.