Closer to the Bone EP - Red Kites

Here's a band claiming to be the hallowed saviours of modern music with their press-release proclaimed splicing of "Smiths, Beatles and Stone Roses". Strange that to these jaded ears the four songs here sound like shoddy Shed 7 cast-offs.

Now, disgracefully and wrongly I actually like the Sheds so I didn`t mean that to be quite as nasty as it sounds. But still, this is extremely formulaic mid-90's sub-Britpop stuff. Dad-rock-dreck. Competently played without doubt. Doesn`t inspire me, those with a soft spot for "the 'Phonics" may feel differently.

Of the four songs here at least the first "All Time Low" has a bit of jagged energy to it. As for the title track, it meanders on so long you're desperate to machete the fucker out of its misery well over a minute before the end.

[First published on Sounds XP, 2005]Back

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