“Sleep is an uncompromising interruption of the theft of time from us by capitalism.”Jonathan Crary
Anxiety abounds in this tense and compressed new track from Bristol UK shoe-wave band, Spectres.
They made NME’s album of the week and it’s about time to commend the lads for their diligent and provocative sound. For a band that has been anchored to an island, hopefully, the extra attention will garner a tour. Maybe, if the black supermoon aligns, a tour US will follow and they can anoint us all with layers of fuzz, suburban ennui and melancholy for an atrophied diaspora of guitar-centric music.
Spectres have crafted another set of Ballardian soundscapes with their latest E.P., Hunger. The band lamented recently (via ablog link on Facebook) the woes of sharing a name with other bands who have a similar predilection to synonyms for “ghost.”
However, sound and execution are in their favor as both their debut Family and Hunger clearly set them apart sonically.
Spectres—not to be confused with the post-punk band of the same name from Vancouver B.C.—are a band studied in the fine art of noise and dynamics. Sure, there is a template: write a great hook then add clear, sonorous interludes punctuated with breathy vocals and delay, square note progressions followed by what basically amounts to the premeditated murdering-the-fuck-out-of-guitars crescendos.
Unpacking these songs is half the appeal of listening. Once you scrape off that top layer of distortion, fuzz and delay, you’re left with a band that is exceedingly capable of writing catchy rock songs.
“Maybe You Shouldn’t be Living Here” is the standout track on Hunger. Crucial in that it draws four of the five song E.P. into sharper focus.
Each subsequent listen extends and enhances the songs. Hunger is layered and complex. Filled with wall-of-sound percussion and Daydream Nation-esque guitars, Hunger is the sound of the Mayan apocalypse in stereo. Or earbuds. Choose your poison.
A Coat of Red Paint In Hell 