Sexed Up Feeder
Named after the infamous Richard Nixon, Tricky Nixon, a four piece guitar band from Manchester, seem full of energy and vigour and it comes across on their EP. Apparently the front man Rhydian was a Welsh international gymnast that got thrown out of the team for mooning a granny, or something.
The music is described by the band as The Beach Boys writing songs for the Pixies. Well I don't know which Beach Boys or Pixies albums they've been listening to but it's really nothing like that. Cast your mind over to Wales once again, think of that three piece, no not the Stereophonics... Feeder... can you hear Buck Rogers? Now remember how the Feeder album sounds. Right.. that's what these guys sound like, and it sounds good too!
The guitar sound is pop-grunge and very catchy, none of your whiney indie guitars here thank you very much, just full rich chords and punchy riffs. Rhydian's vocals are sultry and sleazy, backed up perfectly by female vocalist Ritz, it's like listening to a high class lapdancer seducing a tiger on heat. The band like to cut away the music in breakdowns leaving the vocals oozing on their own, it's a nice trick although they do it a lot. The production on the whole is very nice with the occasional little touch like that to keep you entertained.
I can't find anything not to like about this EP, I just don't love it. It's kinda catchy, but not in the way that you'll suddenly end up with the song in your head all day for no reason and keep singing the same line until someone smacks you violently in the face. The whole sound is sleek and sexy, but not as sexy as *insert name of favourite celebrity here* covered in baby oil and knocking on your front door. It's like the sonic equivalent of a hot bath, it feels lovely at the time, washing over you and getting under your skin, but as soon as you've got out and dried yourself off you've mostly forgotten all about it.
So go out and buy Tricky Nixon's EP if you like Feeder, or welsh gymnasts, because you'll love this, and if you don't then it's still a nice collection of songs to have on late night at one of your sexy parties, or during the day to practice your ultra cool, ultra minimalist, dance moves around the office.