It's been such a perilously fast rollercoaster ride for young Welshcore quintet FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND (debut single going to #19 in the big kids' charts, 'Kerrang' awards and a fearsome reputation for unbelievably energetic live shows) that the momentum of the whole thing is actually tangibly scary. Hell, your normally sedate reviewer ended up with a nervous headache after just 25 minutes on the blower with two of the band a couple of months back, such was their relentless enthusiasm.
Their music's giddy thrills gradually wear you down, too. I freely admit I initially found them yawnsome and formulaic, but last single "Juno" began to turn the tide and now this double A-side gleefully smashes down most of my remaining defences.
The immortally-titled "She Drove Me To Daytime Television" is probably the better of these two cool, breakneck tracks. Singer Matt Davies switches from regret-filled crooning to yelping like a cat dipped in a vat of acid in the blink of an eye, while the lads keep the Fugazi-pummel-Rival-Schools-while-Feeder-look-on riffs nailed down tight and the whole caboodle ends up sounding undeniably convincing. Crikey: at this rate even Kilroy had better watch his back. This lot seem unstoppable.
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Right then, by my reckoning, this is the current state of play. Awards in the bag? - Check. Cred factor established? - Uh-huh; America forewarned? - Yup; public's collective sleeves rolled up and waiting? A-ha.Good...I think we're ready for that debut album now.
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