Another NBTListeningIn Indie Music Review

I have long pondered about how to describe this band of marvelous misfits. I have finally landed on calling them an unique type of Garage Band, but a garage band that resides on a different planet in an alternate universe, where garage means just a starting point to punk, pre punk, alt rock, savage and serene, melodic, abrasive, twisted, dream-like even beneath the boom pow turmoil .

Would they be offended if I called them a pop band, and maybe LESS offended if I went on to explain, that it is, similar, to how I have always thought of Hawkwind, T Rex,  and Suicide as ‘pop bands’ ?

But enough of that; let’s call them Monster and tell all about the latest EP.

Starting off with what I like to call, a car chase of a tune, a tune just waiting to soundtrack some down and dirty glorious indie film, widescreen fast, enter the tunnel feel the shiver of the walls closing in, the out with a roar into the sunshine and the dust. This is ‘’ Personal Universal ‘’

It’s a statement of intent from the get go, to paraphrase Captain Mal Reynolds in ‘’Serenity’’ the band ‘’Aims to misbehave’’

‘’Deptford Creek’’ is a hybrid of sorts, part American  cowboy bar band, part Dr Feelgood marries Status Quo English hard rock, add some lyrics that would be at home in a Springsteen rocker or a twisted version of the Beach Boys, the intense forward motion continues. Heck, if the Cult had managed this sort of controlled noise, I may have even liked them.

Then onto my favourite track here ‘’ Man Afraid Of His Horses’’, If White Stripes ever reform, they will need to cover this. And it’s an eco protest of sorts, but it’s the groove that gets me, this track just swings, and should be blasting out of old fashioned boom boxes from chart countdowns the world over.

‘’Frankenstein ‘’ and no it’s not the old Edgar Winter tune (though I have a feeling the Saints could do that really well if they felt the need to) this, a subtle change of pace, is a harder run through of the sort of stuff the Triffids or Go Betweens would do, but with added Manic Street Preachers. Though having said that, there is nothing sound-a –like about the band, throughout all the shifting styles there is something that tells you straight away, this is the Angry Saints.

 ‘’Stain Of Cain’’ is controlled rage, a song I can imagine going absolutely crazy when played live and should be played to every sanctimonious politician, evil podcaster , or disgusting radio host.

Finally there is, ‘’ Big Bad World’’ another driving tune, with added strange little John Entwistle type vocal interruptions.  Please do not exit this EP until it has come to a full stop!

You can hear this on Bandcamp (where you can buy it as well) and also on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7khBahQMv1pcatqHaEdUas?si=JyUMTUbwRj-dGYgX37HcDw