Read out in its mono-syllable directed manner, S.C.U.M doesn’t sound quite so barbed and confrontational, but once you dig beneath and find out that it’s actually an acrynom for ‘Society for Cutting Up Men’ – a call-to-arms penned by the ultra-radical feminist writer and artist, Valerie Solanas: the infamous protagnist who shot Andy Warhol – then all kinds of antagonistic aims and agendas emerge.
Even though they use Solanas edict as a moniker, this London 5-piece share no common intrests with, or sound like, any raging mob of ‘riot grrrl’ groups – for starters the band are four-parts male to one-part female; the only femine touch coming from Melissa Rigby on drums. And instead of some fierce mannifesto-spouting, shambling punk group of miscreants, S.C.U.M surprise us with their palatial Gothic brand of well-crafted post-rock.
Their latest halcyon, swirling minor-opus, ‘Amber Hands’, has a booming anthemic sound, which whirls through traces of Placebo, The Cult and BRMC, in a hazy tumultuous maelstrom of seering shoe-gazing guitars, soaring synth and grandstanding drums – not a million miles away from The Horrors. Lead singer, Thomas Cohn lets his, strangly eerie Brett Anderson, vocals drown in the wash, so that they become mysteriously shrouded; though you can pick out the odd esoteric, or mystical, platitude of “transendance”, and, “I can see your spirit” on this trippy blast.
Taken from the forthcoming debut LP and produced by Ken Thomas, whose past credits include a host of inspirational alternative artists, such as Psychic TV, Bowie and Sigur Ros – the first two have definitely rubbed off on the S.C.U.M – Amber Hands is an ether drenched, cyclonic, acid epic.
Released – 18/07/2011
[Rating:4]
