When I caught Bearfoot Beware live a year or so back I was shoed and appalled. They were dreadful. Mostly, they simply didn’t cohere: it was like band members were all dancing to their own tunes – and playing them, too.
This new five-tracker has convinced me to reconsider my condemnation of the band, and manages to make a virtue of the things I slated them for before. From the opening burst of off-the-wall, slightly shambolic-sounding indie-pop that is ‘Tom Savini’s Fake Blood’ to the last track, ‘A. Insomnia Strikes’, Bearfoot Beware demonstrate a raw energy and at the same time prove that they’ve come a long way since that chaotic and less than impressive showcase in York. I’m clearly not alone in this opinion, given that they managed to land themselves a Live at Leeds slot this year, appearing on the same bill as Slow Club, The Futureheads and Dinosaur Pile Up.
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There are chops and changes and yelps aplenty, delivered with an off-kilter, lo-fi energy that’s rough and ready, but by design rather than accident. In combination, these elements contriving to create an EP that’s lively and unpredictable and good fun.
‘No Face’s Gold’ can be downloaded for free from Bearfoot Beware Online
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