So on a cold Friday night me and the Photographer meet up in an undisclosed secret location to drink beer and discuss the singles and tracks we have found, been sent, bought in the last few weeks. As usual the Photographer takes the role of Bad Cop and I take the role of Good Cop. So with quite a lot of sniggering and argument here’s the first singles review from the pub of 2024.
Mother of All – Cosmic Darkness
This is utterly pounding thrashy, grunty, shouty, metal. There are devils horns being thrown all over the place. The Photographer says that this is more of that two hundred miles per hour metal. It’s shouty and screamy, it’s alright actually.
Gouge Away – Stuck In A Dream
A pounding thrashing tune, completely different to the pounding and thrashing of the track before though, with a great shouty female vocal, I think it’s pretty good, the Photographer says it’s got a plinky plonky starty uppy, I quite like the squiggly guitar bit. But it’s more metally than I was expecting, all in all it’s a bit average.
The Fauns – Mixtape Days
A Shiny epic and lush track with breathy female vocals, it’s massively overproduced and I think it’s ace. However, the Photographer says that it’s overproduced to the point where its too soft, it’s not the most interesting track I’ve heard either, it’s got no real substance.
False Tracks – Suspended Animation
I think that this is a great fast garage rock song, with excellent organ fuzz and drums, even a tambourine and clear vocals, very sixties throwback. The Photographer agrees, yes, it’s got a bit of interest and variety to it.
Dermabrasion – Magic Missile
This is decent dramatic synth darkwave. The Photographer says that it’s synth poppy, and a bit dark but it doesn’t really go anywhere, it warms up a bit after a minute but it’s a bit disjointed
SLIFT – Weaver’s Weft
This starts with choral singing over slow music then goes into bonkers free drumming and guitars everywhere it’s a mental nine minutes song and I’m really not sure it’s a single….The Photographer says that it’s Trite. They are trying too hard, and it’s blatantly an album track.
The Umbrellas – Gone
This is an ace indie jangly harmonies song, not the best track on the recent albumalbum by any means but a good single. The Phtographer says that it’s happy and poppy and doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a toilet, well produced and I quite like it, if you like The Wedding Present you’ll like this
TR/ST – Robrash
A big old synth fuzzy sound and electro beats with a European accented distorted voice and high distorted singing it’s disco dancing a go go. The Photographer just says that’s it’s like all those bands like Nitzer Ebb bands but it sounds a bit dated.
Apogean – With Which Ear You’ll Listen
This has Black Metal grunting and shrieking, I like it a lot but it’s not loud enough and it has a lovely classical ending. The Photographer is less impressed, Nerdy metal, four thousand miles an hour and technical up the wazoo.
Les Big Byrd – Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain
This one has a nice guitar sound over fast drums with a peculiar voice singing… it is strangely good. The Photographer likes it too, it’s got a good beat and it’s bass driven and it’s not too long – a proper single, San Francisco guitar warble.
Guiltless – All We Destroy
This one has a nasty feel, there are big drums and slow massive guitar. Nasty, loud and great. The Photographer says that it’s another metal thing, pointless long intro, then dooooooom..
VR Sex – Real Doll Time
I thought that this was punk, great stuff. The Photographer says that he read the Spotify description of the band and they’re not that, they’re average.
Sabatta – Take You There
As far as I’m concerned this is an overproduced whidding guitar yawnfest. The Photographer agrees and says that it sounds like they are in the middle of something, it’s not complete.
Sleap-e – Leave my Bum Alone
This however is brilliant lo fi indie with incomprehensible vocals and strummed guitar, it’s the best title of the week too. The Photographer disagrees, Punk poppy getting towards pop more than punk. I can see this every day of the week, nothing distinctive about it at all – more effort needed.
Shubmodul – Silent Echoes
I think that it’s six and a half minute long, there’s a twinkly intro and then powerful metal but not too sharp and aggravating. The Photographer says that it’s interesting. Another one of these Mushroom Giant\ Mogwai\ Godspeed YBE instrumental bands, but these are heavier
KMFDM – Airhead
It’s just KMFDM, it works and if you like them you’ll love it. However the Photographer has issues with it, this is not KMFDM, it’s just one of them and it’s euro techno pop ‘get orf my land!’
Ataque Zero – Ciudades
This is an Ace Hardcore Punk Racket. The Photographer says that it’s great. It does what it says on the tin, sounds like it was recorded in the toilet, it’s short spiky I like it!
Beans – Haunted
Just a nice indie tune. The Photographer concurs, another nice indie band, a support band that’s not grabbing me, and to qualify that statement, I’ve seen some some great support bands.
Purest Form – Broke
A decent track with nasty beats, a screamy voice and big distorted guitars. The Photographer says that he kind of thinks that John Wilcox has probably seen them, very screamy.
Frail Body – Refrain
This is nasty hard core pummelling and screaming all a bit too much for me. The Photographer says that it’s proper screamo, quite offensive to my delicate ears.
Agriculture – Living is Easy
This is excellent metallic over the top noise. The Photographer says that it’s not quite as nerdy as the other one but it is quite technical, lots of showing off. It is however definitely better than the last screaming shizzle.
Maquina – Denial
This has nice synths and beats, a good bass groove too, there’s nice feel to it, great track. The Photographers says that it reminded me of Giant Swan. I liked this one, bass driven rhythm can’t quite tell what’s going on, odd noises then the guitar kicks in that adds to it, but the driving bass is really good, bit long but I don’t mind that.
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Dave Clarke – Wisdom to the Wise 2023 Remaster
Old techno, the Photographer added it to the list so he could give it single of the week and he’s not wrong, it’s brilliant. The Photographer says that it’s blatantly the best track on the list, its a stone cold techno banger.
Locrian – Chronoscapes
This is mentally punk with a good sound rising, alright. The Photographer says it’s a bit repetitive and not sure what it is, standard screamy vocal with an organ over the top which is a bit off putting, No, doesn’t hold my interest
Pissed Jeans – Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars in Debt
Right, this is just ace, nice and nasty. The Photographer says this is great, two minutes of smash yer face in. Ultra produced and has major record label smashed all over it; but it’s great.
Melvins – Working the Ditch
The Melvins doing what they do best, a masterpiece again. The Photographer says it’s the best metal on the whole playlist, old fella wins techno and old fellas win metal, it has got an unnecessarily long intro.
Dragged Up – Missing Person
I really like this, it’s got the oddness of Dragged Up with a strange tune that gets under your skin. The Photographer says that he quite likes them, I’ve heard them quite a bit. It’s not their greatest track but it’s good.
Dez Dare – 10,000 monkeys + An Argument With Time
Dez Dare is Fighting Boredom’s friend, and as such has never made a bad record, this is another ace track! The Photographer says that this is nuts, plinky plonky electro psycho nuts plinky plonky guitar lunacy!
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There you go, Old Bloke wins single of the week with Techno. If you don’t agree.. ask to join in, we are willing to disclose our location occasionally. Cheers!
All words by Martin Ward and Adrian Bloxham
Beer by the Triumph Brewhouse
