IT'S been too long since Noise Annoys last checked in with Banbridge-bred noise unit Abandcalledboy, so let's rectify that right now with some words on their brand new single, LA Dick.
For the family-friendly purposes of this column, we'll be taking that title as a reference to a Los Angeles-based gumshoe rather than anything ruder – indeed, that might well be the case, as singer/guitarist Ryan Burrowes's locally accented vocals are kept quite low in the mix of its stompy alt-rock racket, making it hard to evaluate the precise cut of his lyrical jib.
He doesn't sound too happy at any rate, with the quieter passages of this Trail of Dead-esque tune only serving to highlight whatever mid-20s malaise is at hand via twinkly guitars that contrast nicely with the bruising crunch and squeal of the meat of the matter.
Abandcalledboy are a quartet also featuring Adam Smith (guitar), Mark Finnegan (bass) and Chris Ryan (drums). They have evolved considerably from the grungy-sounding trio who put out early single Teenage Parasites/Take It In Parts back in 2011, when Burrowes was still playing the part of singing drummer with some considerable skill.
That stuff was good enough in an 'early Nirvana with added squiggly math and post-hardcore bits' kind of way to make me buy a CD and, while last year's Cliff Richard single was cut from similar plaid and/or flannel clad musical cloth, their newie and other more recent fare like the titteringly titled George Best In Show and its flip Paul Simon's Daily Routine (released back in March) suggest the current line-up are now intent on nailing a proggier, 'anything goes' kind of sound.
Maybe that's why they really remind me of Jetplane Landing at times, which is no bad thing at all.
The jokey promo pic the band put together for LA Dick, depicting them in mock advert style as city slickers in shirts and ties with their fingers on the pulse of modern commerce.
It's an eye-catcher for sure, a bit like the cover art for Heaven 17's Penthouse and Pavement crossed with the tongue-in-cheekery of Nirvana's infamous 'suits' photoshoot.
Check out LA Dick and the rest of the tunes I've just mentioned (apart from Teenage Parasites / Take It In Parts, all traces of which have apparently been scrubbed from the interwebs in a slightly sinister revisionist history manner) right now via the links you can't help but stumble upon at Fb.com/abandcalledboy.
The single is released on July 31 and the band called Abandcalledboy will be performing it live upstairs at the Belfast bar called The Bar With No Name shortly thereafter as part of their upcoming concert engagement with somewhat like-minded deviants Race the Flux.
The latter Galway-derived headline act will be launching their new Olympians EP on the night, the atmospheric effects pedal-enhanced alternative rock-based delights of which you can sample this very day at Racetheflux.bandcamp.com.
THIS WEEK'S MOST ANNOYING NOISES
Medicine Show – THVS
The Trial – Tusks
We Stand Strong – Trucker Diablo
Insecurity – Therapy?
Nantucket Sleighride – Mountain
The Ocean – Ultimate Painting
There Can Be Only One – Cass McCombs
Used – Wyvern Lingo
Erase – They Might Be Giants
Rupert's Trousers – Sleaford Mods
