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SoundsXP Presents

Friday 6th April 2012
All Day BBQ Festival

Sparrow and the Workshop
6 Day Riot
The Nuns
Singing Adams
Y Niwl
Colours
Dignan Porch
+more tbc

The Windmill
Brixton
Price tbc

On Our iPod

Golden Grrrls - New Pop 7”

Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital (album)

Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester (album)

Throwing Up - Mother Knows Best 7”

Howling Wolf - Complete Chess Masters 1951-60

The Ketamines - A Rotten Bond/1 Yr (from Oddbox Singles Club Pt 2)

Cardinal - Hymns (album)

Proper Ornaments - Taking the Gamble Out of Buying 12”

Darren Hayman - January Songs (album)

Various: Marshall Teller EP 12”

Latest Forum Posts

Single/Download Review

Spectrals/ Mazes
Split single/ Spectrals: 7th Date Sex Is Disgusting 7"/ Slumberland 7"

Article written by Ged M - Jul 17, 2010

Vinyl’s made a comeback, cassettes too, and now it’s the EP. Longer than a single, it gives a more rounded picture of bands as well as being better value. Louis Jones has released many tracks on various labels as Spectrals and maintains good quality control here on his brace of tunes. ‘It’s OK (Not To Be OK)’ is a tipsy take on 50s pop, with a bell-soaked and fuzzy backing. By contrast, ‘Can’t We Please Stop This Now’ mixes tropical touches into the dense-layered noise background. A well of good ideas, cleverly executed. Mazes’ titles are less complicated, as are their songs; with a clear US 90s influence, the excitable guitar pop of ‘Most Days’ goes for speed, while the buzzing ‘Vampire Jive’ is short but slays you with melody. Songs, bands, value, can’t fault it on any grounds.

With less of the fuzz and feedback that swathed his previous records, and more of the direct pop approach, '7th Date' is Spectrals' first bona-fide great pop song. There's a touch of early Postcard Records in the way it pays open homage to classic pop styles (Spector and the 60s in this case) but it applies a sizzle of youthful energy and an addictive guitar riff too. The elegant 'Don't Mind', meanwhile is a slice of dark Lynchian late 50s-flavoured pop with a great melody.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/spectralspectral
http://www.myspace.com/mazesmazesmazes