The Bohemian Embassy:
Seek Love:
Download:
Daddy Longlegs Records:
Out now:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Accentuated vocals, cryptic lyrics and chop-changing guitar riffs? Hell, I could be listening to early Foals, Maximo Park or Death Cab For Cutie at this rate. I'm not though, I'm copping an earful of the rather odd Bohemian Embassy who remind me of Plymouth's excellent PJP Band - well, at least on this E.P.'s bruising closing highlight Trouble Gets In You. In fact, had this seven-song release kicked off with said track, I'd be glued to my headphones and wiggling my arse about in some indecent manner. As it is, by the time Trouble does get in me, I'm already thinking about the next thing I'm going to review.
Cerys Matthews likes them though - their brand of 'skiffle rave' (their words) 'theatrical burlesque punk' (mine) has an element of rowdy drunkard about it, as displayed on the opening Take You On a Ride which is straight out of the '70s to these ears. Imagine Roy Wood doing a knees-up with Gogol Bordello and, well, maybe you can't hear what I mean, it's that bonkers. More straightforward is the strident Look East which is busy and bold enough to prompt students at a freshers' disco to drink an ocean of beer and leap about like loons on a hot tin roof. More of the same happens on the title-track before the slower This Song reveals a rather more contained grown-up side to The Bohemian Embassy.
As for the rest, I'll give them and Matthews the benefit of the doubt as a couple of raucous-by-numbers tunes scamper past, setting up that all-important album closer I mentioned before - it's gotta be a single (if it hasn't been already). A full album will be the Litmus test though - can The Bohemians deliver a dozen belters or sink without indie trace. You decide.
Seek Love:
Download:
Daddy Longlegs Records:
Out now:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Cerys Matthews likes them though - their brand of 'skiffle rave' (their words) 'theatrical burlesque punk' (mine) has an element of rowdy drunkard about it, as displayed on the opening Take You On a Ride which is straight out of the '70s to these ears. Imagine Roy Wood doing a knees-up with Gogol Bordello and, well, maybe you can't hear what I mean, it's that bonkers. More straightforward is the strident Look East which is busy and bold enough to prompt students at a freshers' disco to drink an ocean of beer and leap about like loons on a hot tin roof. More of the same happens on the title-track before the slower This Song reveals a rather more contained grown-up side to The Bohemian Embassy.
As for the rest, I'll give them and Matthews the benefit of the doubt as a couple of raucous-by-numbers tunes scamper past, setting up that all-important album closer I mentioned before - it's gotta be a single (if it hasn't been already). A full album will be the Litmus test though - can The Bohemians deliver a dozen belters or sink without indie trace. You decide.
