Rating:
* * *
Having conquered the Christchurch music scene, these bright young things were about to disband and head into the wider world when Failsafe Records' Rob Mayes convinced them to head to the studio and record their best songs before they shipped out.
It took two weeks and the result is
All the Stupid Smiling Faces
- an energetic indie romp, full of oohs, woos and woahs.
The result can be a little same-same but there's no denying these boys know a decent hook when they hear one.
The shout-it-out chorus of
Messing With My Mind
has a distinct early-Weezer flavour to it, while
Ezi Luvas 69
has the chaotic patter and 60s swing of The Libertines. And
Camille
could have been copied straight from The Kooks' songbooks.
The ironically titled
Playing Guitars and Smoking Cigars
and
Feeling Put Out
hear the band mix up their three-guitar staple and let Mike Ellis lead the way on piano, while psychedelic jam
Never Again
has vocalist Chris Young at his bratty best.
It's a competent, catchy first effort that promises plenty of dance floor singalongs with the likes of
Rather Be Dead
and
The Chase
. But it can be hard to differentiate one track from another as the same sounds keep rearing their heads.
Joanna Hunkin
Review: 'A drama so quietly devastating that I won’t forget it for a very long time.'