ShutUpAntoine- A.W.O.L
When a band cites their influences as 'Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Franz Ferdinand', one can't help but whip out their confused face for public airing. On paper it seems as an unnatural blend as a pineapple and pork chop smoothie- but it turns out it is in fact possible. ShutUpAntoine, a Swiss quartet have brought out an EP called 'A.W.O.L' which does just that.
It may be possible to achieve, but I'm still unsure as to whether I like the taste of this sonic pineapple and pork chop smoothie. There is something a little odd about hearing the heavily QOTSA style cowbell-punctuated hard rock choruses blend seamlessly into the lo-fi Franz Ferdinand-esque indie touches as per 'L.A. By December'. It works, but it feels slightly surreal- sort of like when you saw teachers out buying their groceries when you were a kid. Once you get used to it however, you can settle into the feel of the album a little more. There is a real level of charm in the masculine spikiness of the that underlines this record, which could probably inspire a little dance if you felt so inclined. 'Fucked Up Fucking Up' actually feels a little bit Arctic Monkeys just to throw some extra unexpected edges into the mix.
One thing you can say about ShutUpAntoine is that they obviously have a lot of fun with what they do. 'Emo Zebra' hurtles off the starting line at a hundred miles an hour and kicks and screams with the relentless energy of a toddler. Melodically, it's terribly catchy once you can see beyond the utterly bewildering lyrical content. The trick with 'A.W.O.L' is to let go and to just enjoy the unruly riffing, the thrusts of macho rock n' roll and the light-hearted spirit it seems to be delivered in. It may struggle to find its real place in the UK, what with the sprawling array of sounds on offer, but it's worth a listen for escapism's sake anyway. Fun is always welcomed.