A bluesy swagger kicks off this EP from South London quintet The Waves Of Fury, sleazy brass over Carter Sharp’s wolf-like howl, coming on like a Gothic pantomime of John Lydon, as far as opening gambits go Killer Inside Me is a gloriously assured curtain raiser, snaking around with a similarly garage-blues vibe to Plastic Fang-era Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Following track Jellyroll, now that the stylistic cat’s out of the bag, can’t help but be a little bit of shift down, it’s a joyous stomp, a smokier number and reminiscent of The 13th Floor Elevators and their marriage of psychedelia and pop sensibilities. Whilst Death Of A Vampire has a Rolling Stones swagger, but its raucous unhinged arrangment elevates it beyond those over-rated rockers, the brass rising with triumphant roars and a swirly organ line helter skeltering in the background. It’s like Steppenwolf jamming with The Commodores and is every bit as magnificent as that alliance should be!
Things go very The Velvet Underground on downtempo number Pretender Soul, Carter’s voice weary and wavering and at dischord with Hove’s piano led balladry rising up around him. But out of this shambling mess it manages to find pleasingly scruffy notes of optimism and hazy, druggy clarity as Carter wheezes ‘All our sadness, all our pain.’
The EP comes to a close with the lively I Don’t Know What To Make Of Your Friends where Carter’s voice sits on gravelly breaking point like Eartha Kitt after a night swallowing sandpaper, however it sits nicely against the energetic glam pomp pounding reassuring out of the speakers in this short, sharp finale.
Undoubtedly an arresting, exciting and fun EP that manages to showcase the versatility of this swamp-rock outfit to a tantilising degree.
[Rating:4]
