Fabulous debut full-length offering from Brighton rockers
This City are no strangers to R13 having been featured as our Myspace Band of the Week towards the end of 2007. Since then things have moved quickly for the Brighton based quintet, culminating in the signing of a worldwide three album record deal with Epitaph in January 2009 which see’s the release of their debut full-length album ‘We Were Like Sharks’ on 19th October, with a European tour support slot with Eagles of Death Metal scheduled for the tail end of October. Exciting times then.
Right from the off, ‘We Were Like Sharks’ smacks you in the face with such force that your senses are left trying to figure out which way is up while lying in a pool of your own vomit.
Intense opener ‘We Move’ lights the torch paper with a riff as catchy as salmonella in a students kitchen, laced with post hardcore guitar melodies entwined with a drumbeat more akin to dance floors rather than rock clubs.
‘Black and Blue’ and Myspace favourite ‘With Loaded Guns’ follow in quick succession. By the time your senses are fully functional once more and you’re in an upright position, half the album has whizzed by, a blur of crushing riffs and melodies only punctuated by the odd pause for breath in the form of arpeggio lead guitar breakdowns.
‘Picture This’ isn’t as brutal but showcases a more mainstream, sing-along quality, suggesting that these boys can write catchy radio friendly tunes when the mood takes them. It serves as a chance to reflect on the opening half of the album and, more importantly, allows balance to be restored in your head.
Just when you think the end is nigh and that things will tail off without a fuss, along comes 'Kids With Fireworks', another tune that’s been kicking around the band’s Myspace page for a while. An appropriate title, as the track is the musical equivalent of being chased by a chav lobbing fireworks at your backside; dangerous, but exhilarating all the same.
So, after all the positives, this is the part where I pick fault. But to be totally honest, there aren’t any gripes here. If, hard pushed, there was one criticism for this album, it’s that the vocals become a little tedious, with the same intonation and same style on each track. But, the unique vocal style and technique is one of This City’s endearing qualities, as it dares to be different. In a good way.
All in all, a fabulous debut album with more hooks than a butcher’s freezer. This should merely be the beginning for an incredibly talented band that seem destined for bigger and better things.