Indie rock 'n' roll fans can't go wrong with The Motorettes...
Kitchenware Records, the North-East record label, home to the likes of Prefab Sprout and Editors, is set to release the debut album of (if you believe all the hype) the next big soundtrack to your summer from one of the North East's hottest new bands. The Tynemouth trio The Motorettes, comprising of guitarist and vocalist Robin Howe and brothers Jed (bass) and Jack Laidlaw (drums), have already begun to set the wheels in motion with their debut single 'Super Heartbeats' and the follow-up 'Gotta Look The Parts', both of which now appear on their eponymous long player. Professing their love of The Ramones, The Beach Boys and sixties girl groups such as The Ronnettes and The Shirelles, The Motorettes brandish the slogan, "don't be stylish, be timeless".
"Timeless" might be taking it a bit far, but there's no denying that when it comes to infectious melodies and trash pop harmonies The Motorettes have all bases covered. The singles 'Super Heartbeats' and 'You Got To Look The Parts' open the album with the brash guitars and catchy, almost robotic vocals that characterise the band's style, and which accelerate to new heights in the driving chords and pounding drums of '(Do You Wanna Be My) Girlfriend?', 'I Am Blisters, I Am' and 'Relax, It's The 80s' with their catchy, overlapping vocals and harmonies set off by repetitive chants.
'Go! Go! Gadget Girl' and 'Baby Come Home' are painfully catchy, bordering on anthemic with their forceful driving melodies, while 'Heart...Stop...ing' will leave you breathless as the swirling repetition of its twinkling guitars, hissing drums and hand-clapped beats make your chest tighten with anticipation. However, perhaps the most innovative track on the album is the fantastic trash pop cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'I'm On Fire', which lends itself perfectly to the hyperactive harmonies and pounding drums that send the song hurtling forward.
With some exciting and infectious melodies, indie rock 'n' roll fns can't really go wrong with this album.