The debut EP from Pickled
Dick is exceptionally... Interesting. Taking into account this bands
age and status in the world of rock n roll they're not bad, not bad
at all. Listening to the first track, it hits you quite hard when
the vocals come in. The harmonies are well constructed, but a little
more practice wouldn't go amiss lads! The syncopation is good, but
not quite sure that its intended, as the two voices are slightly
outta time. Both have strong vocals that stand out, with neither
playing second fiddle to the other.
The band's passion for the
music that they're playing is evident, and you cam imagine them
having a ball jumping round like maniacs to their own music whilst
recording. The guitar riffs are catchy, but special commendation
goes to the drummer who has enough energy to fuel the power for all
the houses in the south of England...
Track One titled 'Wet
Blanket' starts off with a synthesiser which is summat you don't
hear much in this genre of music these days! Its a fast-paced
riff-fuelled punk track that would be guaranteed to make you jump
round the dance floor if you caught this band live. Track Two
(Champion), not dissimilar to track one I might add, is another fast
paced offering from the lads. Whilst we're on this topic, I cant
help feeling that if the band slowed it down a bit they'd gain
another edge to their music. Its not all about going mad. The
harmonies improve in Track Three aka 'Street Cred', and I
think it's because you hear less of them, leaving it until the
chorus to make an impact and knock the audience sideways. Also, the
sound is a lot more mature in the final track compared to the other
two. The sound is fuller, with a more even distribution of
sound , i.e. the producer has decided to wake up and do something
with the levels...
Technically, the music is
spot on, its just the rough edges that need smoothing off to make
this band a major contributor to the punk scene that's starting to
become part of mainstream music again.
