Chandos 'Rats In Your Bed'
Chandos’ first two
EPs were self-released on cassette, but this time around they’re
stepping into the studio with the support of Carpark Records, and
‘Rats In Your Bed’ is the overdriven, paranoid result. Bearing
comparison with the heyday of fellow Bostonians the Pixies, and with
dashes of early Biffy Clyro thrown in for good measure, this is a
record burning with adrenaline and with a dynamic, muscular
musicality which it is an injustice to label pop rock.
From the minute ‘Drug
Bros’ comes stumbling through your speakers to the closing feedback
of ‘Early Peakers’, Chandos display their mastery over the
elusive knack of writing catchy rock songs which are not compromised
on authenticity or grit. Strip back the layers of warm distortion
which envelop the record, vocals and all, and it becomes fully
apparent just how accomplished their anxiety-strewn tunes are. It’s
a shame that some listeners will inevitably dismiss upon first listen
“another boring fuzzy pop rock group” or something equally
derisive, because as much as they might pretend not to be, all 11
tracks are precise and intricate. And filthy and strident, obviously.
Album
highlight ‘…Pretty Sure It’s Tang Top’ shines with a killer
chorus flanked by the elasticated guitar riffery which is just one of
the gems to be found on the record. Vocalist/guitarist Dan Coulson
certainly keeps himself busy, as twisting lead lines take ‘Cobra
Points’ to another dimension and give the otherwise straight-up
‘Temperance’ a mesmerising outro. But more than any individual
elements, more than the earth-shaking drums, more than the
desperation which permeates the release, more than the leftfield
chord progressions, it is the band’s cohesion which is really
impressive. Disguising such powerfully urgent songs as disarmingly
simple rockers is a monstrous feat, and tunes like the bile-filled
‘Fluorescence : Light :: Cubicles : Life’ and ‘Swim Gym’ are
all the better for their uncompromising tightness. Without a weak
track and without a trace of pretension, ‘Rats In Your Bed’ is
the perfect way to start 2015; maybe getting hold of those cassettes
can be your New Year’s resolution.
Words - Joe Ponting
Rats In Your Bed is released January 26th on Car Park Records
Listen to '..Pretty sure it's Tang Top'...
