Robyn Writes

Darwin and the Dinosaur – Romulus [EP]

Romulus, the latest offering from Norwich-based Darwin and the Dinosaur opens with all the majesty of its legendary namesake. ‘Mow Mow’ is a charming, enrapturing kind of track. Right from the off, you’re faced with beautiful guitars and an impeccable sense of melody. And it’s the perfect track to showcase what’s still to come. There’s intensity, technical skill, emotion and a certain cheekiness. It’s Minus The Bear meets Taking Back Sunday but with an unmistakeable Britishness. That’s the whole EP in a nutshell, but Romulus does have a lot more to offer as well.

Liebe is catchy, dancey, and would fit perfectly on Kerrang! TV’s current rotation. It’s bundles of fun, but not a carbon copy of current British alt-rock. Lyrically, the EP is a cracker – extremely self aware, a little bit self deprecating and above all, intelligent without being too pretentious. This is best showcased in ‘Lady Die’, a 30-second “fuck you” wrapped in gorgeous melodies and following track ‘Fuck You And The Horse You Road In On’, an amusing insight into the lives of underground music acts. DatD is packed to the brim with excellent musicians, and there are inspiring instrumental sections on every song, but ‘October’ really takes the cake, giving each member a place in the spotlight. The EP has a great pace to it – there’s radio friendly slow burners, like ‘Stupid Is As Stupid Does’, an Armor For Sleep esque ballad with some killer backing vocals, as well as upbeat made-for-a-live-audience anthems.

The production values are also incredible. Everything is clean, crisp and clear. No instrument battles it out with another, there’s no tinny cymbals, it just sounds great. If there’s one criticism of this EP, it’s that occasionally the main vocals slip into a slightly American based whine, and as this seems to be consciously combatted at times with a more British pronunciation, it sometimes pushes them out of tune. But otherwise, Romulus is an absolute joy to listen to, and Darwin and the Dinosaur are set to conquer.

4 out of 5 high fives!

a brief notice.

Updates this week are going to be sparse – or not at all. My town has been put on flood alert so we’re pretty much preparing for the worst.

Thanks for your patience.

xoxo – Ripper

The New Lows – I Couldn’t Sleep

The New Lows have come up with a total low-fi delight in their third full length, I Couldn’t Sleep. Equally an indie chill out and a punk rock party, I Couldn’t Sleep is fourteen short, sweet little musical bites of joy.

The Floridian quartet are pretty tricky to pin down. Opening track ‘Losing Streak’ is melodic punk at its best, as is ‘Ferposhknickt’ (which incidentally, is one of the best song titles in the world to say out loud), but ‘Ghost’ then takes it in a totally different direction. Reminiscent of a more mellow Fake Problems track, ‘Ghost’ is unfailing in its ability to burrow its way in and embed itself in your skull, echoing around in there forever. Then The New Lows disappear in another direction as they get to ‘Stove’ and ‘Abeyance’, which are like more stripped down Weakerthans tracks, only with lyrics about Xboxes rather than Winnepeg.

Not everything is wistful and bouncy though. ‘Pilgrim’ is completely crushing, with some outstanding synthesiser work and backing vocals. However, it’s ‘Leaves’ that will be the sleeper hit of the season – with some positively sublime ‘oohs’, incredibly rocked up riffs and unrelentingly cool vocals, it’s truly brilliant. Nevertheless, almost every track has a real highlight – whether it’s the cheeky bits of piano in ‘St Sans’ or the whistles in ‘Arbor’, these little touches catch you by surprise on every listen, and I keep noticing new bits every time. The New Lows have taken cues from their punk rock beginnings though and each track is simply structured and wholly addictive, allowing poignant and thoughtful lyrics to seep through the background and into your consciousness.

I Couldn’t Sleep should please a good number of people, and the rest should be soon converted. Perfect for anyone who finds punk a little too abrasive and indie a little too pretentious, or for anyone that just likes good music, really.

4 out of 5 high fives!

The Bad Times – 2012 [demo]

The Bad Times are a Coventry based hardcore band who have had roots in the local scene for years before coming together in 2011. It’s obvious from this five track demo that they know what they’re doing, and have managed to put together a visceral and compelling example of why hardcore isn’t dead in the Midlands.

The first thing is that it’s definitely fast. After a doomy, downbeat lead in to ‘No Cities’, it’s straight into business with some of the most frenzied screams I’ve heard in ages and the tempo goes off the chain. This demo takes cues from a more classic hardcore style, as is evident from the breakdowns in ’13 Days’. It’s a refreshing change from the ever increasing presence of the metalcore chugging that’s more commonly found at the moment. The Bad Times aren’t afraid to take a few risks either. ‘Rat Race’, the most impressive track on the demo, starts off slow, before bursting into a melody driven verse that positively batters you with its fury and intensity. There’s a desperation in these demos that just completely knocks you for six, and combined with the competence that The Bad Times have to display, it’s hard to put this down as just your average hardcore effort. And the drop in ‘Memo’? Simply incredible.

The band are playing Kasbah in Coventry on the 23rd November along with local heavyweights Finish Him!, who are old TBO favourites. Get down there and get in the pit because The Bad Times are actually very, very good.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Sorry And The Sinatras – The Kings Of Shamble Street [EP]

If you like your punk rock simple, heartfelt and fit to bursting with catchy riffs, then Sorry And The Sinatras are the band for you. Fronted by Scott Sorry, former bassist of The Wildhearts and Amen, along with a bunch of other punk rock veterans, it’s a short and solid blast of big tunes.

Opening self-titled track ‘The Kings Of Shamble Street’ is bloody good fun – gruff and shouty life affirming punk rock noise at its best. ‘Valencia’, a tale of junkie love, is a lot more toned down than the previous opener, but equally as fun. However, it’s ‘Pretty Letters’ that’s the jewel of the release – fast paced, with some brilliant vocals. The chorus is absolutely fantastic, and I’ve been singing it for days. Much like ‘Bleach and Gasoline’, it would be a standout track when done live, and I’m sure that Sorry And The Sinatras are more than capable of putting on a show.

The cover of the classic The Replacements song ‘Bastards Of Young’ is a really nice addition to the EP. Fitting in with the rebel tone, it also feels like a sort of lament – has apathy taken over the youth of today? Is punk rock even really still alive? It’s clear from this EP that Sorry And The Sinatras are going to try their damned hardest to keep it all going. It’s certainly a great take on the track, by all means.

Composed of ‘lost tracks’, The Kings Of Shamble Street certainly doesn’t feel that way. Confidently self-assured, Sorry And The Sinatras have definitely given it some bollocks. It’s hardly groundbreaking, but it’s an EP that’s definitely worth a bit of love.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!