9

A Rough But Enjoyable Ride

Scuzzy beyond repair and with a touch of the old sewage romance, like The Datsuns on drugs or perhaps Winnebago Deal or Mclusky smoothed around the edges and tamed. This is all so loose and lovely, like a veteran gaping-lady of the Soho streets addicted to poppers. With scrappy backstreet guitars, dustbin drums and rabid vocals, the sincerity levels are sky high, showing a plain disregard for being tight and, well, normal. Some killer chanty hooks in 'This is Not Happening' ('You got to! Come round to! My house for! A little while...') and 'From the Cities to the Seas' keep the juice flowing and will make you and bands on the wrong end of the creative pole remember that having a good song isn't about being as tight and glossy as a pair of worn spandex leggings. There is almost a 'that'll do' principle to the recording, as things are given a general level check but not much else, and it's brilliant! The energy is kept in its rawest form, the vocal and musical hooks are gaping out for all to be latched upon and so the overall feeling is one of sincerity and a love for the true alternative lo-fi scene.

Clearly, you'll have to be a fan of the sort of razored up slosh that you find in the darkest, nastiest (and most fun) venues of this dear country. The two-piece that have a tendency to wear monkey masks – another animal association that can sum up their sound? - have been fused together by a clear love for sleazy sounds and whacking things out just to see what happens. As the E.P. unravels and more blackness is then revealed, the slapdash and split movement of their sound limps into a sprint and gives the listener the audio equivalent of being taken by the lobes and shaken repeatedly. It's quite a turbulent ride, but each bump and scrape is forgivable due to their big heart and soul.

And despite the fact that it clearly diverges from their only true sound (one guitar, drum kit, two vocals), the overdubbed guitars and backing are a standard for this sort, so we will let slip something that is again a usual complaint. Gosh, they're so loveable! Alsatian should away from the tempting modern honest-guv' bohemia (Libertines, Monkeys etc), for their form of music is polished, it could easily shift gears and slip into this evil world. But if they do stay away, it is more than likely that they'll win more acclaim and recognition... A true 'keep it real' scenario if ever there was one.

They will slobber all over your best suit, leave crap in your pockets and dry-hump your ears until they're red raw. But you'll forgive them in time.