Blind Pew
>> You’re Claimed EP
>> Smokey Bear Records
Blind Pew’s ‘You’re Claimed’ EP kicks off with ‘The Devil in I’ starts off with a little bit of mock mysterious reggae before kicking into a jaunty little number that one may imagine Inspector Gadget extending a mallet out of his hat to whist chasing one of The Black Claw’s henchmen.
‘Uh-Huh’s titular refrain sounds like a Do Me Bad Things song, a band I never thought anyone would openly admire but its clear that Blind Pew do, either consciously or unconsciously. More worryingly, the single note guitar solo brings to mind Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Thousand Mile High City’, which can’t be a good thing. The Britpop influence is a constant, both from the good/bad old days of the mid to late 90’s right up to today’s stars. In particular, The Kaiser Chiefs’ gang-like backing vocals and merry funster stylings are imitated on more than a couple of occasions.
‘Experiment’ is an unashamed exercise in 80’s hip swinging, injecting a bit of good honest fun into proceedings, something that is woefully absent from the majority of today’s smart self referential post-post-post-modern irony-savvy music makers. However, Do Me Bad Things appear to be pilfered again as the hook sounds like a direct lift from ‘What’s Hideous’.
‘Memories for Show’ is a pleasing little Belle &Sebastien-esque semi-ballad that sounds much more natural and heartfelt than the rest of the EPs slightly forced glammy jives. The Britpop influence pokes its head up again in the solo, which is appropriated this time from Oasis’ ‘Rocking Chair’.
A cartoony sense of fun pervades the whole EP, which is fine and raises a smile at first, but it starts to wear after a couple of songs, leaving you wondering if there is much else to Blind Pew than superficial japery. They are one of those bands that if you went to a gig and they happened to be supporting the main act, you would enjoy them but probably not do anything about finding out any more about them. The EP is just such an entity. I enjoyed it, but probably wont listen to it again. That’s not to say that others wont, but some may require a little more to grab hold of.
Next time, Gadget!
Paul Bamford
>> Smokey Bear Records
Blind Pew’s ‘You’re Claimed’ EP kicks off with ‘The Devil in I’ starts off with a little bit of mock mysterious reggae before kicking into a jaunty little number that one may imagine Inspector Gadget extending a mallet out of his hat to whist chasing one of The Black Claw’s henchmen.
‘Uh-Huh’s titular refrain sounds like a Do Me Bad Things song, a band I never thought anyone would openly admire but its clear that Blind Pew do, either consciously or unconsciously. More worryingly, the single note guitar solo brings to mind Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Thousand Mile High City’, which can’t be a good thing. The Britpop influence is a constant, both from the good/bad old days of the mid to late 90’s right up to today’s stars. In particular, The Kaiser Chiefs’ gang-like backing vocals and merry funster stylings are imitated on more than a couple of occasions.
‘Experiment’ is an unashamed exercise in 80’s hip swinging, injecting a bit of good honest fun into proceedings, something that is woefully absent from the majority of today’s smart self referential post-post-post-modern irony-savvy music makers. However, Do Me Bad Things appear to be pilfered again as the hook sounds like a direct lift from ‘What’s Hideous’.
‘Memories for Show’ is a pleasing little Belle &Sebastien-esque semi-ballad that sounds much more natural and heartfelt than the rest of the EPs slightly forced glammy jives. The Britpop influence pokes its head up again in the solo, which is appropriated this time from Oasis’ ‘Rocking Chair’.
A cartoony sense of fun pervades the whole EP, which is fine and raises a smile at first, but it starts to wear after a couple of songs, leaving you wondering if there is much else to Blind Pew than superficial japery. They are one of those bands that if you went to a gig and they happened to be supporting the main act, you would enjoy them but probably not do anything about finding out any more about them. The EP is just such an entity. I enjoyed it, but probably wont listen to it again. That’s not to say that others wont, but some may require a little more to grab hold of.
Next time, Gadget!
Paul Bamford
