Scanners
Scanners have been sent to save us from the monotony of most current UK Indie bands, but are first impressions misleading. Scanners are a hard working band who have just returned from a US tour to release their debut album “Violence Is Golden” on Influx. The album has already received high praise on the airwaves from Steve Lamacq and XFM.
The first thing which is noticeable upon hearing this album is the distinct vocal talents of Sarah. She also plays bass within the band and it is her voice which is part of the attraction this band creates. This London Four piece use their female lead singer to great effect. Her Voice is dynamic throughout showing moments of power and aggression and changing to suggest vulnerability and softness reflecting lyrics well.
It is easy to see that this band are great at what they do and they create a really good first impression. This may be due to the fact that they are a band with a good rock sound, flashes of catchy keyboards and a raucous and sassy lead singer. However the more I think about these facts, the more this band lose their attraction. Even though the aspects I mentioned are exciting in a band, they aren’t original.
The Music they have written for this album is very good. The second track on “Violence is Golden”, “Lowlife” is typical of the band’s sound and is one of my favourites from the album. It is upbeat and catchy and demonstrates the brilliance of Sarah’s voice. “Changing Times” is an example of a much slower and haunting track from the band, which erupts with angst and distorted bass lines during the chorus. They have included four remixes of tracks on the album at the end of the disc. These are also quite enjoyable and a refreshing change in style. With the variety the band have included on this release there is surely something for everybody.
If you are a fan of bands such as The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Kills I suggest you check out this London four piece. They have some good quality music to offer and a slight twist on indie as many think of it. Whether they are completely original or not becomes irrelevant if you like their music, and the fact is, who really is original these days. Forget about all this and listen to their music, and I’m pretty sure they will have you dancing along in no time.