Something Special
The Neutrinos are something special. A hardworking group from Norwich who have been quietly playing sell out gigs in the area for quite some time, they may be about to garner themselves a lot of attention - and it couldn't be more deserved. 'One Way Kiss' is a feisty, infectious mix-up of indie, art-rock and raw punk energy fused together by the searing vocals of lead singer, Karen Reilly. Think the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but stripped bare.
Sparkling with energy from track one, 'One Way Kiss' opens with 'Kiss Like Killers', a song which sets a benchmark for irresistible hooks, twanging guitars and often breathless vocals. The title track itself is a tight number, fraught with caustic vocals and lyrics, providing a sincere anger that is rather refreshing.
Although occasionally the record does feel to be lacking any definitive sense of pace, dithering a little too much mid-album ('Horse Pills') before wrenching the ear with the words "Eat my hole you motherfucker!" in the following song, it does demands the listener pay absolute attention.
Aside from this, the track 'Donkey Work' employs a change of tone with a lively, fifties-esque rock 'n' roll sound to fantastic effect, which along with 'Sharkbait', provides the album with it's two standout tracks.
'One Way Kiss' is driven by sexy, energetic vocals and adept, technical musicianship resulting in an album which is kicking and screaming for attention. The lyrics are biting; "Eat my words so you can make me better. Eat my time, I don't want to think, I'm in the room but you don't even blink!", whilst the imagery in tracks like 'Corpse' and 'Horse Pills' is morbid and macabre, dealing with confusion and broken love.
Comparisons could possibly be drawn with other eminent female-led rock bands – the aforementioned Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Be Your Own Pet and potentially even a fledgling Gossip – and they would be fair, but this should not detract from The Neutrino's unique take on the brand and their sparkling talent – this is fun trashy art-rock; the soundtrack to dingy indie clubs, leopard print, rolls ups and rum and coke in plastic cups.