Review by Paul H Birch
Dirty Little Lies’ draws me in hook, line and sinker: a teasing riff chimes along to clever wordplay and knowing clichés until a full-on chorus swings in with passionate backing harmonies that a boy band would cry for. About halfway in it raps heavy like The Beastie Boys then whacks out a wah-wah solo that shoots straight from the hip. It’s a sugar rush. Too cute by half. A radio hit. I’m smitten.
‘Ghost’ is The Everly Brothers’ ‘Price of Love’ metalled up as a Biffy Clyro anthem and again the kind of vocals that are going to entice little girls as well as their big sisters. ‘Fever Inside’ trades on The Clash for a military upbeat number where the guitarist again cranks his plank in public; coming in next ‘Take the Blame’ is as individual yet catchy a song as all the others; then an alternative, more subdued singularly-paced version of ‘Dirty Little Lies’ without the wah-wah on guitar shows how different you can make a song with just a few minor changes.
A young four piece from Rugby making modern anthemic British pop rock. Probably good looking too. If so, success awaits.
8 out of 10
Track listing:
- Dirty Little Lies
- Ghost
- Fever Inside
- Take the Blame
- Dirty Little Lies (Alternative version)