www.birdmanrecords.com

Another impulse buy, a five-piece American group recording on Birdman Records, perhaps it was the offbeat track names that caught our eye. ‘Shattered Glass’, Dogs & Dice’, ‘The Tingler’ (an old shlock horror film, surely ?).

Lou Lou Rosenthal is lead vox and keys, with George S Rosenthal ( presumably brother or cousin ?) on guitar and keys, plus Mark Nelsen second guitar, Lena Brown bass and Nathan Pastor on drums. The lead singer includes in her thanks Rammstein, The Mighty Boosh, Vincent Price ( aha..) and Astro Boy, which is an alluring mix of influences and hints at maybe a Cramps type sound ( by the way, RIP Mr Lux Interior of latter band who passed away last month).

On initial hearing, the nearest reference point in fact might be The Detroit Cobras, an angry punk drive abounds and the spark of pounding electric instrument much in evidence. These cats don’t lack enthusiasm and melodies claw their way through the fuzzy storm. Lou Lou sounds like an Olympic standard sulker, just as well she’s chanelling this into music. ‘Shattered Glass’ is a pent-up sneer of a song, like an amphetamined Slits and what an inspired drum part…

Overall the ghost of Siouxsie without the accumulated haughtiness flavours this collection. The song ‘Red Lips On A Grey Morning’ has a jerky tread and moaning lyric but it sounds so heartfelt that it must connect with a certain element of the disaffected that I imagine make up their audience. Grimly catchy.

The band sound their most driven on the angular thrash of ‘Burn Away’ and the vocal has great definition, the music seems to burst out of them. ‘Hit Me’ has a Runaways bounce in a classic garage band ensemble sound, lyric spat out.

I like this group’s attack though the angry ranting doesn’t fully connect with me. I expect they are a storming live act, if they can sustain this kind of intensity on stage. Just hold back on the fuzztone a little of the time, chaps, it loses some dynamic by being ever-present…

Pete Sargeant     www.fairhearing.co.uk