Second release from as yet unsigned London-based trio PISTOLS AT DAWN is the 4-track EP/album sampler ‘Bow Down’(see the band’s website or Myspace for availability).
Opener ‘Never Goes Away’ is all about latent stress - the throbbing intro merges seamlessly with an ultra loud bass sound that rumbles beneath a soaring melody and the straight up, shaking with emotion lead vocal. Guitars that sound like keys in an oddly engaging way, and spitting expletive bile dominate, though the overall clarity and 4/4 rhyming chorus give a delicate simplicity to the record.
3-piece outfits are usually conspicuous by their penchant for all-hands-on-deck 100mph take-it-to-the-bridge-by-the-scruff-of-the-neck approach, but though there is lots happening in the Pistols At Dawn stylo, there is also an eerie sparseness at times that allows time for reflection.
The title track is frenzied enough however, despite the trademark half-stepping bass throb – the guitars build up to a point of no return as the grind threatens to submerge everything. It’s revolt, or build an Ark time, or go ballistic, or insane. Bleak choices and religious shape throwing intensity explode off the back of a wonderfully controlled drum roll, and though this is grown up music for boys, it has an undeniable sincerity about it.
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‘Sunday School’ has a moral message or two entwined within, and the garage-flavoured ‘Redneck Rant’ is a choppy, splashing, low down and dirty finale. Phlegm and spit, and only a high hat/cymbal tapping metronome to relieve the red mist inspiration. Though they feel they might as well be talking to the wall to a system that will grind you under its heel, this London-based outfit give as good as they get, chewing up and spitting out the shit we’re all supposed to swallow down at the bottom of the pile.
Intriguing. Also very angry, in the bottle up and explode sense!
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