Customer Reviews

Love It When I Feel Like This

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Is it the early to mid 90s all over again? That's what I thought when I first heard tracks from an earlier EP, songs like "Ice Cream Sundae" and "Either Way". I've never fallen out of love with the sounds of that scene and it seems neither have The Twang. You cannot miss the influences from the Mondays, Northside, Inspirals, and Space Monkeys in this music. Check out "The Neighbour", which channels Northside like no band I know, for good or bad. The EP I easily give 4.5 stars to.

Now for the full length release. All the EP songs are present but alas they are easily still the best tracks. The "new" tracks are more poppy (e.g. "Two Lovers") yet unmistakably Twang. On the strength of the earlier tunes and "Don't Wait Up" on the full length, I'm going to rate this a 4. Put me in the "like" camp regarding the vocal stylings of the lead singer.

After seeing this album recommended in the UK Best of 2007 Lists I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. It grew on me immediately and I can't stop playing it.

This is the Happy Mondays all over again, except with tons of talent, witty lyrics and a talented guitar player. Going over really big in England right now, but the wide use of local Brummie slang will probably stop them breaking the US market. But it's all the better for that, and if most Americans can't understand the words, don't fret - just put it on loud and dance around your living room to it all night. "Push Away The Ghosts" is the stand out track for me.

These guys mix a funk ska rap oy spoken word scuffle rock with a lot of four letter words and despite being solid in terms of composition and writing, this is something you are either going to like or hate, and I don't need to tell you what I feel about it. The pity is that in many places they show they have what it takes to be far more interesting. "Push the Ghosts" could be a nice rock anthem with a little work on the chorus, but the singer (not really, he just talks fast for the most part) intrudes way to much and wrecks it. "Got me Sussed" could work as well, with a little discipline in the writing, but again the lead singer so dominates everything that you can't focus on the good parts of their sound. I see no hope, unless some other members of the band involved in the songwriting move on and do better. Or they dump Phil.