onsdag 25 Jun 2008, 19:18
I've had this album for some time, but i wrote this a few days ago for another music website so i thought i might as well throw it here too!
When welsh noise merchants mclusky split in 2005, it heralded the end of an era which gave us the wonderful mclusky Do Dallas and the wonderfully titled My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours and The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not on Fire. Then, in autumn 2006 a band appeared with little notice, consisting of ex-mclusky members Andy "Falco" Falcous (vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Jack Egglestone (Drums) and accompanied by Jarcrew (another now defunct welsh band) singer Kelson Mathias (bass). It wasn't until September 2007 that FOTL released their first effort, Curses.
There's something that's both wonderfully uplifting, yet quite scary about Curses! - Falcous is back to his humorous, snarling best while the rhythm section keeps it simple, yet effective. It's also quite a short affair - roughly 37 minutes and 14 songs. However, it'll last longer as you'll want to hit "repeat" straight away. Opener The Lord Hates A Coward sets out the stall for the album - stomping its way into your subconscious like a noisy audio army and sitting there for the foreseeable future. It's not just songs that makes you want to dance like an epileptic at a strobe festival, there's plenty of singalong moments too - latest single Manchasm giving us the screaming "All he ever wanted was a detonator", and the ode to Jack Egglestone's cat: "Colin is a pussy, a very pretty pussy". Trust me, you'll find yourself singing it whenever you see a feline. If you thought that was infectious, if you aren't chanting along at the end of My Gymnastic Past then you might be medically dead - it never fails.
On the subject of the infectious riffs, you'll not find one more so than that of adeadnemyalwayssmellsgood - it starts with a singalong of sorts before assaulting your senses in the most exquisite way possible - with the dirtiest bass line since QOTSA's You've Got a Killer Scene There Man. Don't listen to it in a crowd though, as there's always a chance you'll want to start a mosh pit with everyone around you.
There isn't much you can say to attack the album, apart that some songs do feel a touch out of place, especially final effort The Contrarian but after the previous tracks you'll be happy for the rest.
Listening to Curses! is a real journey - one that'll leave you battered, bruised but still wanting more. It's been a while since Falco and his troupe weaved their magic but oh Lord, it's good to hear them again. Long may it continue.