This second set of demos from North-West indie hopefuls THE AUDIBLES was recorded at the end of 2006 at Manchester’s Strangeway studios, showcasing this uncompromising four-piece in full effect courtesy of the raw, edgy nature of this D.I.Y. collection.
Theirs is an embittered take on our received notions of the classic rock n’ roll format (they evoke that sense of tradition quite consciously, I think), though the band don’t wholly seem at ease with the entire trip, evident in the way that these four songs cling repetitively to their core melodies, emitting a kind of hesitant caution along the way.
A 1/16th-splattered pulse immediately weighs heavy on the soul with the guitar sitting absurdly deep in the mix of the title track, surfacing wildly to add a repetitive trance with the mournful intro riff which marks the join in this cyclic tale of mistrust and peripheral fear. This seems more generally like an outlook on life rather than just the consequences of a bender, though ‘Absinthe’ is a vogue-ish and rather effective metaphor for all evils conjured up by the shaky, misfiring mind.
Slowly, but surely, the sound finds a way through, as ‘O’Sherry’ uses the same downwardly spiralling deep rhythm with added metronomic percussion as the basis for a scathing attack on the preying evil of corporate-level rip-off merchants and other manifestations of daylight robbery. The guitar again surfaces with a repetition of the intro’s hook line – a truly mindless riff that seems barely connected to the rest of the (deliberately) disjointed whole – but fully adept when it comes to conveying the kind of inept psychosis that is symptomatic of dream-blind vulnerability!
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“I put my heart and soul in this” – goes the vocal hook of ‘Take It Or Leave It’, and you are inclined to believe it, as like the EP’s finale ‘Just Like You’ the song dangles the full weight of itself from the same classic guitar sound. The overall feel is livelier, more angry, and stands as testament to the band’s unswerving non-compromise. Embodies it, even.
With an awareness of the necessary work ethic, and complete, cymbal-crashing dedication to the Spirit of Rock ‘n’ Roll sustaining the no-bullshit streams of vocal consciousness, this should instantly appeal to those who don’t see why new bands ‘Keep tryin’ to fix somethin’ what ain’t broke’.
The unpolished and unexperimental nature of the music (sadly somewhat butchered during the production process methinks-though to be fair, the entire EP was recorded in just a single day) really does point towards the likelihood of a strong live act – and if you mosey along to Manchester’s Roadhouse on the 9th February, you will be able to assess their onstage merits for yourselves.
Those sufficiently intrigued can weigh up the accuracy of this review IMMEDIATELY, courtesy of the wonders of Myspace, where the EP is currently available for download, along with contact details for getting hold of a CD copy.
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