The Nite Songs Singles Bar - February 2021 Part 2 - EP’s and Mini-Albums
Yup, we're back in the ring for a second swi(n)g at the Singles Bar this month. We've had a few mini-albums land in the review box this week so we thought we'd use this particular column to give 'em a spin. Enjoy...
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THE SPANGLES - “Boys Just Wanna Have Fun”
Featuring various off-duty members of the Idol Dead and the Main Grains, the Spangles first came to our attention a couple of years ago with the excellent SweetFA album and this four track covers EP featuring the band turning their hand to covering various female-fronted bands they look up to. Hence Joan Jett's Bad Reputation is turned into a glorious Ramones style thrashy singalong and Kim Wilde's Chequered Love has a nitro rocket strapped to its back to power it through.
The group also take on the Bangles' Walk Like An Egyptian (also covered by fellow Leodensians the Eureka Machines a few years back if memory serves me correctly) and turn it into a properly enjoyable romp while their cover of Transvision Vamp's I Want Your Love captures the sleazy energy of the original perfectly.
Covers EP's are always risky business but fair play to 'em, the Spangles have well and truly aced this and Boys Just Wanna Have Fun is an absolute riot from start to finish. Bring on that second album.
NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)
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THOSE FUCKING SNOWFLAKES - “Everything Is Absolutely Fkkkkd”
Hailing from Blackpool and signed to Louder Than War Records, Those Fucking Snowflakes are another of those post-Idles angry political post-punk bands. Similar to the likes of Dead Sheeran though, while their music may be somewhat off-kilter, their political anger is very much front and centre and it's this which makes what could have been an obtuse and unlistenable EP actually pretty worthwhile.
From the Boris-bashing Uncooperative Crusties via the well-aimed takedown of Dominic Cummings that is By The Power Of Barnard Castle and the anti-fracking tirade Caudrilla Can Fuck Right Off to the brilliantly named vitriol aimed at Robinson and Farage that is Mendacious Meddling Milkshake Recipient, Those Fucking Snowflakes bring to mind the strange image of Jello Biafra fronting Gang of Four and I have to say it's not an unpleasant sound at all. Like I say, it would have been very easy for this EP to sink into either outright unlistenability or to simply be lost in the post-Idles tidal wave a la TV Priest but these guys more than hold their own and Everything Is Absolutely Fkkkkd is well worth a listen.
NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)
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THE VAINGLORIOUS - “Delirium Tremens”
Hailing from London, the Vainglorious are the latest musical project of former Glitterati and Dedwardians and current Desperate Measures and Rich Ragany & The Digressions guitarist Michael "Gaff" Gaffney. I have to admit that this wasn't what I was expecting from him but the boy done good.
Opening track One More Lie is actually a tuneful slice of melodic rock complete with keyboards but it has a big soaring chorus not unlike Gaff's Digressions bandmate Rags which well and truly carries it through. A Common Mistake is similarly mid-paced and melodic before the dark You'd Die For No-One sounds like Nevermind era Nirvana covering Ride's Unfamiliar but there's no denying it works before the chugging riff of Senseless, the heaviest track on here, signs this one off well.
Gaff's done a good job here and it proves that as well as being a skilled guitarist that he's a dab hand at songwriting as well. Delirium Tremors is definitely well worth checking out.
NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)
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