The Phantom Band - The Wants (Chemikal Underground)

Biffy Clyro were my first true love. Since the first time I heard 57, I invested all my naïve musical idealism in the trio's musical unorthodoxy and lyrical opacity, and would meet any fellow fan's mention of their name with all the hostility of a novice fourteen-year-old who believes their favourite band exists for their ears only. Needless to say, my heart was unceremoniously broken when the band signed to a major label and disowned all their material from before 2007. So it's good to see that fellow Scots The Phantom Band are standing by that belligerently unconventional approach to music making that made Biffy Clyro so exciting all those years ago.

Much like a younger Simon Neil and co, The Phantom Band are prone to stylistic acrobatics, swooping seamlessly between genres and time signatures with impressive agility. However, The Wants is an album that boasts greater range, proficiency and imagination than anything in the former's back catalogue. Take songs like The None Of One or album closer Goodnight Arrow, which starts off like a creepy B-movie soundtrack and ends up sounding a bit like O Fortuna – not before detouring via some psychedelic synth and bass grooves – all without you even really realising it. That's where the brilliance of The Wants lies: to analyse its configuration, it sounds bizarre - even contrived - but the execution is so effortless that the resultant songs are genuinely absorbing and accessible. This temperamental tendency isn't a gimmick: there are enough songs on The Wants that are more straightforward, but no less interesting, (such as the folky ballad Come Away In The Dark and the eerie, electronic O) to satisfy the cynics.

The Wants seems like a natural progression from the band's debut, Checkmate Savage. All the wild ambition of that first album has here been explored, while Rick Anthony's versatile singing voice sounds more professional and controlled, and the other band members, drawing from a wider array of instruments, create music that sounds more refined; more polished. If I had to pick a fault, I would say that this is the only element that ever really works against them. At times The Wants sounds a little too slick, with Anthony's Americanised drawl inclining towards insincerity. Maybe that's a personal bias, though, predisposed as I am towards the Scottish accent. Regardless, The Wants has reassured me that Scotland has plenty more underground musical talent waiting to be discovered.

Words : Tegan Rogers

Oceansize - Koko – 1/10/10

Having seen Oceansize play as a punter very many times over the years, from small venues that no longer exist to crowds of about 30 people right through to packed out uni venues, but unfortunately never anything bigger. Despite being around for over ten years and having a rather large and loyal fanbase, I’m not sure why it’s taken them so long to find their way to headline venue’s as big as Koko when so many of their other British rock brethren have gone on to achieve huge success... or split up. Either way, they are here now and boy do they deserve to be.

We arrived a little way into their set due to the fact that Koko’s annoyingly famous clubnight on a Friday meant that the bands had to start and finish ridiculously early so myself and a number of other bewildered fans looked on having already missed classics such as the stand out track from third album Frames ‘Unfamiliar.’ Despite this hindrance, what I did see was fantastic. Oceansize have a sound that could easily fill out venues three times the capacity of Koko and played like it. The new album hasn’t exactly had the big push that, say ‘Everyone In To Position’ did five or so years ago but the new tracks sound quality, ... With schizophrenic dual vocals from Vennart and Steve Durose and ‘Superimposer’ showcasing the new album in full style. The band are certainly leaning much more towards a heavy, prog sound these days which fits their style well. The new music filtered well with old classics like Paper Champion. it has to be said Oceansize are one of the most underrated bands in the country. They’ve just never quite fit into any genre that’s been in vogue.

Mike Vennart who can now also be seen playing second guitar for old friends Biffy Clyro was on top form with the banter and looked so at home on a stage with enough room for the band to move, darting about whenever he had time off the mic. It was great after so many years to see the guys play a blinder to a massive crowd and despite a minor misunderstanding with Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree (or ‘PT’ as he seems to call them) at the aftershow it was a great evening.

Words : Gordon Reid

Pulled Apart By Horses - Hippodrome – 30/09/10

I think its fair to say that after a couple of years of solid touring playing every hole, hovel and toilet in and around our fair Isle, Pulled Apart By Horses are really starting to reap the rewards for all of their hard efforts and tonight’s exuberant performance demonstrated why. After a successful year playing some of the biggest support slots going, including gigs with Biffy Clyro at the Roundhouse and with Muse, the lovingly loud Leeds Lads have really started to develop a huge following and playing the now very highly regarded New Slang night, you are able to see just how many people are going nuts for Horses right now. The venue itself resides for most of the week as one of the most tacky, chavvy clubs I’ve ever been to, sticky floors, neon lights and a metal detector (sign of a classy joint) greet you on the way in, and as discussed with the band before hand ‘lot’s of dark corners for finger fucking!’ But the promoters have built up a good reputation and the cheapness and size of the venue means it’s always packed full of kids and in fact tonight was probably the busiest I’ve ever seen it.

Anticipation was high and it took about 30 seconds into their opener Moonlit Talons for the pit to open and people in and around it to go absolutely mental. Horses ripped through their set with pure venom, lead singer Tom Hudson screaming at the top of his lungs and darting about the stage with the energy of a teen with his first overdose on pro plus, this energy on stage really rubbed off on the punters who flew out of each other with such force it was like watching a scene out of 300, minus the swords. Theirs is a sound that really can cater for big stages and audiences and they were revelling in the fact that so many people were there, as Hudson grabbed the mike and launched into the crowd all I could see was a sea of kids charging towards him, before guitarist James Brown suggested they started a circle pit to which the fans were only too happy to comply.

Their self titled début album was played pretty much in the full with unrelenting heavy, bluesy riffs, with the noise of Get off my Ghost Train sounding like a hurricane directed straight at the ears, High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive sounding more vast live, in effect, the most catchy piece of noise to come from this country in a long time and the finale Den Horn, a 7 minute onslaught of beatdowns, riffs and dirgy bass was the only proper send off for a band seemingly getting bigger and better all the time.

Words : Gordon Reid
Photos : James Perou