First things first - this is a record that cries out to be played (loudly) on vinyl, which is what I'm doing as I write this. Its swampy, garage-rock pyschedelia harks back to days before the invention of crisp digital files and seems tailor-made for the surface noise of a record (as an added bonus the record is gold vinyl which looks pretty neat as it spins around). Recorded at Liam Watson's famous Toe Rag studios in a short space of time it could well have dropped through a wormhole from the late 60s if not for the faint whiff of Hoxton hipster that somehow seems to accompany this Brighton trio.
Co-produced with ex-Coral member Bill Ryder-Jones the albums is apparently a loose concept album about a breakup. While you can hear tales of woe in the lyrics it's as much the sound of Kristian Bell's voice that tells the story as the words. His Jack White-wine is at times pathetic and at others terrifying as he swings from pleas to screams. Beneath this there's plenty of variation and depth in the music which suggests that the band could turn their hands to pretty much any musical styles they want. Previous single 'Wire Frame Mattress' is one of the stand-out tracks but there's plenty to keep your interest throughout the record, especially the closing pair of 'Crying Clown' and 'Track 13'.
The album is out now on Heavenly Recordings, you can hear a few tracks below.
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