I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard of The Heartbreaks until recently. However, despite being a relatively new band, these four Lancashire lads have already been rubbing shoulders with the likes of NME-favourites Hurts, ex-Libertine Carl Barat and Brooklyn babes The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Having recently relocated to Manchester and released their mega new single “Jealous Don’t You Know”, they’re giving everyone every reason to sit up and listen.
Thankfully shunning the association of Manchester with watered down lad rock (yupp, I’m looking at you Oasis, Twisted Wheel and co.), The Heartbreaks’ influences lie more on the Morrissey side of things. Buried beneath catchy hooks, driving guitars and throbbing basslines are romantic souls which they themselves admit – “I’ve never been man enough for you”. This track is something of a mixed bag though from start to finish; combining the Arcade-Fire-esque swelling drums which open the single with the dancey funk of the bridge’s bassline, reminiscent of New Order circa Temptation. This is no bad thing as lead vocalist Matthew’s raw falsetto laments – “Tonight I sleep alone, try to sleep off this lust”- tying the track together, supplemented by the tender harmonised “oohs” of the chorus. At a generous just-over four minutes, the track shows ambition and scope for bigger and better things from this quartet; they are not to be underestimated!
The last encounter I had with St. Alban’s band Friendly Fires was at last year’s Reading Festival in a writhing mess of flailing limbs and Ed MacFarlane’s snake hips. As their lead singer sweatily strutted and shimmied his way along the barrier to the rhythm of dance-y synths and frantic cowbells, I realised what an exciting three-piece this band were. Back then their set predominantly comprised material from their explosive, Mercury-nominated debut album, hence my surprise when I heard the latest offering from the disco trio.
Although aesthetically there hasn’t been much of a shift of direction, something feels different to me on ‘Live Those Days Tonight’. Maybe it’s the retro, fade-in chords that open the track, maybe it’s Ed MacFarlane’s crooning “don’t hold back” or the slightly harebrained Late of the Pier-esque synths that underscore the layered interlude towards the end of the five minutes. Friendly Fires’ music has always had the brilliant quality of seeming to be intensely well-structured chaos.
Sadly, this single doesn’t seem to have captured that raw, jungle energy of the first album that crawled under your skin and was almost feverishly addictive. There is less of the hedonistic, carnival fun of the first album (see the funky ‘Lovesick’ and almost feral ‘Kiss of Life’), ‘Live Those Days Tonight’ is a little too polished, too sleek, (dare I say) a little too Ministry of Sound. The jolty, math-rock guitars and thumping percussion give me brief hope at something with more allure but these are vastly overshadowed by layer upon layer of over-produced dance floor-friendly synths. Although a vastly more ambitious track, Friendly Fires are more at home (and, well, better) when they’re stripped back to groovy basslines and primal beats and MacFarlane is doing less crooning and more yelping. I hope the boys will realise this for themselves and I’ll be waiting for them, with open arms. Until then, I’m just a little bored.
Some bands simply refuse to be labelled. Other bands let their influences shine through to such an extent that it is easy to locate them within a specific genre. Native Londoner’s Chapel Club, for me, find themselves in the latter category and their latest single ‘Blind’ perfectly illustrates why. From the crashing wave of dense guitars and cymbal-heavy percussion to the stripped back verse, simply a solemn voice and the solitary throb of a bassline. It’s all a bit…familiar. Editors, Glasvegas, Hurts, White Lies; countless bands have channelled the dark desperation of Joy Division in recent years, some with more success than others. Taken from their debut album ‘Palace’, the quintet has included all the usual suspects – mellow, subdued verses, a deep, velveteen vocal (of which I am quite fond) building up to an intentionally climactic chorus, led by a soaring guitar riff. Lyrically, the track borders on poetic, delivered by Lewis Bowman’s resonant bass, with much of the same thematically; mourning for the death of a passionate, overwhelming love affair and the resultant heartbreak, as Bowman laments he is ‘too busy with regrets.’ It is clear what Chapel Club are aiming for with ‘Blind’ and it is a shame that their well-crafted musicianship is void of much originality. I really want to like them but, unfortunately, I’ve heard muchof it before.
Their frontman Dave Grohl has recently been awarded with prestigious NME Godlike genius award, it has been just over two years since their last album and their previous six have been Grammy nominated. I think it’s fair to say, from the very beginning, Foo Fighters have set the bar sky high. On the eve of the release of their new single, ‘Rope’, from their upcoming album ‘Wasting Light’, it is certainly no different. And, as ever, Grohl and Co. certainly do not disappoint.
Lauded by long-time fans as some of their heaviest material yet, the Foos do not shy away from their deep-rooted rock credentials whilst also clearly incorporating influences from Grohl’s super massive super group Them Crooked Vultures. Heavy, choppy riffs form the meaty underbelly of the track, complimented by Grohl’s signature rough-around-the-edges vocal propelling the track forward, punctuating the 4:19 with regular, hedonistic interjection of “yoooow!” Compared with previous hits such as “The Pretender”, Grohl’s vocal is, to some extent, tamed by Taylor Hawkins’ smoother tones melding to almost-delicately harmonise amongst the rawk.
My personal highlight comes when the track escalates into a brilliant noisy climax of thumping guitars and face-melting guitar slides, showcasing the intense technical ability that lies at the heart of everything this band do. Classic, excellent, moshtastic Foos.
With last year’s release of albums from the lo-fi Best Coast and Wavves and Lovvers’ debut the year before, I think it’s safe to say that the garage rock revival is in full swing. And much like that of Blue’s upcoming Eurovision appearance, this is a revival that I welcome with open arms. Best of all, the widespread success of aforementioned Californian (and, err, Nottingham) bands has seen a number of similarly scuzzy new bands rise from the woodwork. One of these bands joining the ranks is Brooklyn locals Crystal Stilts with their new single “Through The Floor”.
Despite being short and sweet at just 1 minute, 55 seconds, “Through The Floor” provides a injection of much needed sunshine into an otherwise arctic March. All of the usual suspects get an airing by the quintet: a driving rhythm established by thumping percussion, grungy guitars offset by a jangly tambourine and a vocal drenched in reverb. All of these elements messily flung together have an endearing quality to cast me back to hazy cider-fuelled summer afternoons. However, unlike their American cousins, the focus is not so much on drawling, cutting vocals but rather on the instrumental itself. In fact, the lyrics to “Through The Floor” are almost incomprehensible, shrouded by the heavy drums and tattered guitar riffs. Contrasted with the upbeat, poppy tambourine is the weight of the track which lies with the deep vocal drawing comparisons with Ian Curtis of Joy Division fame. This mix of overt brightness and darkness results in Crystal Stilts’ delightful discord that makes them so distinctive. “Through The Floor” is a slice of sunshine-laced garage rock that will make you feel like it’s summer inside…if not out
