04/00 nightshift released

taken from nightshift online

THE ANIMALHOUSE

ÎSmallâ
(Boilerhouse) - Released 17th April

A recent Animalhouse review stated that we are about to find out who the talented ones in Ride really were. A tad unfair on Andy Bell really, but it has to be said that Rideâs greatest moments all happened before they followed Andyâs chosen path down Classic Rock Avenue. They were all about kicking over statues, not laying garlands at their bases.

Itâs fair to say that The Animalhouse are twisted enough not to sound like some pale tribute to their extensive range of influences. ÎSmallâ does what both Sam Williamsâ previous band, The Mystics, and early Ride did - crashing sideways on into the idea of pure bubblegum pop, turning all the knobs up to the top, producing it to the max and hoping that the resultant noise will be loud, fast and exhilarating enough to blow away anything that gets in its way. It worked before and it still works today. On the most basic level ÎSmallâ sounds like the meeting point for Supergrassâ teenage punk kicks and Ultrasoundâs monolithic glam-rock. No surprise then to remember that Sam has produced both those bands in the near past. ÎSmallâ is a headlong space shuttle charge, all hyperactive synthetics, hysterical vocals and Eddie Cochran bassline. It goes from A to B so fast it oversteps the finishing line and ends up somewhere near N six minutes later. Maybe they wonât appreciate comparisons with past projects, but if you liked The Mysticsâ twisted but slyly simple pop vision, youâll absolutely love this.

Victoria Waterfield

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