On their second EP, Bristol four-piece The Jacques display a carefree style on three numbers pulling the best elements from sixties beat music, seventies mod revival and nineties Britpop, often in a manner that reflects the youthful energy on the much-loved Supergrass debut ‘I Should Coco’. Any comparisons with that LP can be directly drawn from ‘This Is England’, a three minute high speed jangle that has a punky edge to the guitar work which sometimes shows glimmers of a Buzzcocks-ish style colliding with the kind of vigour that was so oft-present within Gaz Coombes’s overall approach. It’s clear from this particular number that we’re dealing with a particularly tight unit, it’s just a shame the band couldn’t hire themselves a vocalist. Finn O’Brien yelps through this number much in the manner of a pre-pubescent lad, his high pitched delivery akin to Alex Turner with a helium balloon threatening to kill any enjoyment at almost every turn.
Tag Archives: indie
FOLLOW THE LION – The Candy & Gravity Motel EP
Follow The Lion are a five piece indie-rock band from Leeds whose debut EP is comprised of three finely crafted indie-rock tunes; each of these three numbers bring out the best in most of the band members – particularly vocalist Daniel Francis and lead guitarist Richard Swann. Prior to ‘The Candy & Gravity Motel’s release, the band found an early champion in the legendary Tom Robinson, who gave exposure to the title cut on his BBC Radio 6 show…and it’s very easy to see why, since these three songs are absolutely tailor-made for rock-based radio. That’s “tailor-made”, as opposed to manufactured, since FTL have a very natural style – there’s nothing here to ever make you think they’d been moulded by the media in any way.
CALAIS – Silhouette EP
Calais are an Australian quintet whose chosen sounds fall squarely between radio friendly pop-rock and accessible guitar driven indie-rock. This four track debut release shows both sides of the band’s style equally well, often centring around their gift for a melodic arrangement.
THE SOFT SPOTS – Gently Down The Stream EP
On their debut EP, the self-released ‘Gently Down The Stream’, Philadelphia’s The Soft Spots blend various indie/alt-pop oriented sounds creating what sounds and feels like a very accomplished release in terms of production, especially for a band so inexperienced at the time of its release. They waste no time in making sure this surprisingly professional sound greets the ears of the prospective listener.
MEGAGIANT – Today (and every day)
Hailing from the unlikely locale of Billings, Montana, Megagiant aren’t exactly at the heart of a rock ‘n’ roll metropolis. Maybe their fore fathers moved there to raise themselves a lowly crop of dental floss…who knows? Whatever, in association with DIY label Minor Bird Records, their 2014 release brings seven slices of garage pop/indie rock with a definite 90s persuasion. There’s not necessarily a sharp sense of originality within its seven tracks, but the style and influences gathered by this band still holds up on a couple of tracks, even though this release is far from perfect.