Tuesday, May 04, 2004
The Earlies
“Doomie” and I spar with tedious regularity on I Love Music; he’s a big lanky Canadian who loves Urbane Hymns and indie pop and Alan McGee and who writes for the NME, and I’m a short, stocky English country lad who likes techno and jazz and thinks Urbane Hymns is a big pile of cocktwat (one day I shall explain why) and writes for Stylus. Anyway, he’s been waxing lyrical about The Earlies, some arseflap about how they’re the first band to use both the Mamas & Papas and the warp back catalogue in equal measure, nu-psychedelia, blahblahblah, pitched an album review at NME and it stuck. Normally I treat his recommendations with more than a pinch of salt (Montgolfier Brothers? Oh, just FUCK off), plus I’m not keen on Doomie’s online persona or his offline writing style – all that quiet indie passion turns me right off – but even I have to admit that he might be onto something with The Earlies. I did a quick perusal of slsk and found one tune, “Morning Wonder”, which I subsequently downloaded (they’ve only released vinyl EPs so far - uergh, feel the indie, feel the indie - do you not want people to hear your music, you fuckers?). And guess what? It’s really good. Layered, drifting, melodic, big electronic climax – (at least) one of the guys/girls can’t sing (“Let’s do harmonies like The Beach Boys! Even though we can’t!”) – plenty of different instruments scattered around, and a big, wide-open, stargazing feel. Not at all schmindie. The electronic climax is pretty awesome, and gives a sense of ambition that pushes them above and beyond expectations. They’re almost like Spiritualized would be if they’d a; ever been a proper band and b; Jason Pierce wasn’t a cocktwat and also c; all the members weren’t smashed on heroin.
So, Doomie, thumbs up.
NJS
5/04/2004 11:41:00 am
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