Some of my favourite albums came out of nowhere. You know what I mean - records that you tried by chance, by bands you weren't really into, with no anticipation or expectations at all. Those are the albums that impress the most, and this is one of them. I saw Video Nasties over a year ago supporting Late Of The Pier, and yes it was a bit of a mismatch and at the time they pretty much passed me by as just another guitar band. But I got round to checking out their EPs and quite liked their lo-fi ramshackle sound. 'Devil' in particular is a great song. But none of it compares to the songs they've crafted for their debut album, 'On All Fours'.The producer is still unknown to me but whoever it was has taken the band's sound to another level. Where their style was once slightly overpowered by the fuzz of primitive recording, it is now free to soar. The ferocity and spark is all still there, but now more enjoyable to listen to. It kicks of with 'HNB' (Heart n' Bones?) where you're instantly thrown in to what Video Nasties do best. Fast distorted guitars fade in whilst the harsh, honest vocals burst in with simple, youthful lyrics like "Oh now you remember me, you break my heart, oh I wish you will" That's kind of where the appeal lies for me, it's what struck me on the first listen - it's an album for youth. It's so full of life and the feeling of being free. This is demonstrated on every song, most of all recent single 'Jellybean' which is bubblegum punk at it's best. Just listen to the chorus "I want to be your jellybeeean" it literally bursts with frustration and energy.
The 3 songs that follow demonstrate why this band are 100 times more than your average indie band. Here the vocals really take off, untrained and untamed and totally heartfelt. 'Old Flowers' sees an organ sound backing sombre vocals yearning for something gone. 'Dead Again' (also the name of the label seeing the album's release) shows the band at their heart renching best, with the yelped "I feel dead again!" powerful enough to catch anyone out. Personal highlight 'Conversation Dies' is amongst the best songs I've heard this year, and one of the best surprises. It opens with nearly a minute of echoing piano before the rest of the instruments swoop in, all pounding drums and feedback. The piano follows the song through while the singing is so from the heart that it has it's own life. If 'On All Fours' is the soundtrack of youth, this encompasses it all.
The furious 'Albatross' breaks you out of the sad brilliance and back into fast paced indie rock which continues onto the jittery love song 'Stay Home'. An acoustic guitar makes an appearance on 'Rolling' - the band's very own break up song, done better than anyone. "Maybe you found somebody new. Well maybe, I have too" Next, 'Kaiser' hits hard again in time for the epic 7 and a half minutes of 'Teenage Celebration' which shimmers with organ, relentless guitars and everything this band have got. It should've been the title track! Instead of being the album's big closer, 'Colours Bleed' rounds it all off gently, with those unique vocals lulling 'On All Fours' to the end.
The cover shows a fox, a dog, or maybe a wolf in the dark, like a symbol of freedom. It's perfectly fitting, as Video Nasties have soundtracked what it is to be teenaged. It's dancing with your friends at a party, it's meeting people, getting your heart broken, walking home alone in the middle of the night. It's drinking too much, not saying enough, it's the excitement, the fear, the crazy highs and the crushing lows. It's just what I was waiting for, but didn't know it.
9
(On iTunes today!)
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