The Keys - Bitten By Wolves
"Bitten By Wolves" is the first full length release by Cardiff-based psych-rockers The Keys. The band has been getting great attention from various BBC radio pundits recently and are about to take to the road to support their latest release.
Drawing on influences as wide ranging as Frank Zappa, The Coral, The Black Keys, Captain Beefheart and Can (to name a few), their music achieves an ethereal, atmospheric, late sixties psychedelic sound. Throughout this album the layered, often mysterious moods are expertly produced and the songs well written; which gives a fine collection of modern psychedelia.
The opener is the title track of the album, 'Bitten By Wolves'. This is a very moody sounding song with a very gentle vocals and 60s inspired tinny guitar. The song drifts along nicely and the overall atmosphere is eerie yet pleasurable; a great start.
Not everything on the album is so dreamy, the classic rock sound of 'Everyone Loves You' is a welcome diversion, but this doesn't detract from the mood of the rest of the album. We are even treated to an instrumental with 'Transformations', a nice touch amongst what had gone before. The heavy chords and riff-laden tracks are all memorable as too are the often dreamy vocals and the haunting atmospheres. It's not all doom and gloom, there are many catchy moments and the album grows with every listen.
The underlying psychedelic sound is never far away, though pop and rock are often mixed together as on the track 'Teacher's Daughter'. Tempos are mixed and the listener never has the chance to feel complacent as each track is different and each melody stands out on its own. The final track on the album, the gentle and drifting 'Heads Of The Valleys', is quite mysterious and is a great track to finish on; it leaves you with the feeling of wanting more.
On the evidence of this album, I will definitely try and get to see them playing live. If the band is half as good live as they are on this album that will do for me; a great piece of work.