Reviews
Drawstring-Cool Wow. The first 25 seconds of this EP from this young up and coming 2 piece puts you in perfect anticipation of what to expect. Sonically it is bang on. Ambient in the right places, catchy hooks that build up into moments of epic "wall of sound" feels. I've met the guys a couple of times, one of the most catching things about them is how humble they are for a band, that although not even 20 yet, have a musical intelligence some don't get in a lifetime. Expect big things from Drawstring, they're onto something. The title track - "Cool", probably my personal favourite on the album, can leave you bobbing your head for long after this rather short song has finished. Catchy, dynamic, with absolutely superb production, everything has its place and you'll want to be seeing this live. How different can the next song be? "They Know I'm Not Okay" is a lot more withdrawn, showing us that they can be patient, making you wait for an uptempo break, perfect when it leads straight into the next track "Ache". This record is only a quid on bandcamp. There is literally no excuse to not get it. Very impressed and can't wait for more. Well done lads.
Frau Pouch-Fairymares Having been a bit of self-confessed fanboy of Frau Pouch for the past few years, I was proper excited to hear they were releasing an album of sorts, it doesn't dissapoint at all. Lo-Fi, DIY sounding, this is the perfect summation of what Pouch have been working toward since they've quickly become a mainstay in the Medway music scene. My personal favourite on the album is the second track, "Dracula Pukes" which has probably one of the most dissonant and sparse intros they've ever created, broken up by Joseph's punchy vocals, and a stabby riff to match. The half-time chorus/outro/its punk so I'm struggling to label it understandably, is a nodder. One thing that stands out more than anything from this album as a whole is the tone, especially on the bass, its got growl, its got body and the talent behind it properly shines through. Special mention must also go to the new aspects of Frau Pouch's approach for this album, reverbed claps, sampled baby noises, Suzanne (Drums) even doing some vocals. This is great to hear and I can only hope they have this "Nothing off the table" approach in their future work. This album is dirty, distorted and definitely well worth the wait. Catch Frau Pouch at a gig, buy this album... And a T-Shirt, they're a proper creative bunch.
