Paws /
Waiters / Sex Hands / Dolfinz – Split 12” (Song, by Toad Records)
Spilt 12” sees a return to the DIY underground days
of the late ‘70s and ‘80s and Song, by Toad Records has compiled 4 bands -
Paws, Waiters, Sex Hands and Dolfinz – whose lo-fi guitar music has been
released amongst the plethora of tiny DIY tape labels from around the country,
such as Manchester’s Comfortable on a Tightrope, Plymouth’s Art is Hard,
Sheffield’s Tye Die Tapes and Paws’ own Cath Records.
All four bands were recorded very quickly – a matter
of hours - in a house in Edinburgh, and little time has been spent attempting
to apply polish. Rarely exceeding three minutes, it’s the immediacy of the
recordings that’s their attraction and offers raw, unadulterated indie magic. Collectively
they recall the distorted and Velvets inspired C86 sound which embraced such
indie legends as McCarthy, Pooh Sticks, Tallulah Gosh, Sea Urchins and Primal
Scream.
Manchester’s Sex Hands set the scene with “Gay
Marriage” with half-shouted vocals and gruff guitar economy that sidesteps any
need for gloss. “So-So” by Waiters jangles along with a garage shoe-gazey laze,
and as the anorak fragility of “Vacillate Wildly” ambles forward it feels as if
it could fall apart at any moment.
Dolfinz have a harsher, faster edge and the latters “Kitsch
Craft” implodes on itself by the sheer weight of its own feedback. At a
similar pace Paws’ “Clementine” splutters along, and their instrumental closer “Cherry
Blossom” kicks all pedals on and begins to melt (whilst still managing to
recall the Modern Lovers).
Truly exciting stuff, and it makes me feel 17 again!
Willsk
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