Fear of Music EP
Label: Blowout
Rated: NONE
WorkNameSort: Fear of Music EP
Kid-rockers, as a rule, are to be avoided. However, listening to this six-song EP without being aware of the Manchester quartet’s vital statistics, it’s difficult to come to the immediate conclusion that these guys are anything less than world-weary, heart-stomped rockers. The breezy insouciance – and occasional sloppiness – of songs like “Hey Princess” are unapologetically big, guitar-drenched rockers that sound like a bizarre cross between Hot Hot Heat’s shambling hooks and The Darkness’ bombast. That may not sound like an appealing blend, and, admittedly, there’s a certain amount of shame inherent in getting off to precollegiate rockers. But if this group is allowed to mature gracefully without being inflated and discarded by the rabid UK music press, they’re likely to have some excellent (if mindless) rock albums in their future.
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2005.