Eagulls - EAGULLS (album review)

Leeds post-punk fivesome Eagulls proved in January 2013 that they aren't here for a good time, when they published their now-infamous open letter decrying the raft of "beach bands" who were "rubbing the press' clits" that winter. Their debut album, released last week on the aptly-named Partisan Records, will determine whether they'll be here for a long time.

Thankfully for frontman George Mitchell and his cohorts, their self-titled debut packs enough memorable hooks and choruses in to ten tracks to sustain interest in the band's bleak subject matter. Songs about heroin ('Amber Veins') and thalidomide poisoning ('Tough Luck') match their lyrical content with hypodermic-sharp riffs and a furious rhythm section. Opening track and lead single 'Nerve Endings', meanwhile, builds an acute sense of dread as Mitchell recounts a panic attack over effects-laden guitars. Eagulls covered Killing Joke's 'Requiem' as a B-side to 'Nerve Endings' and their influence can be heard throughout the album, as Eagulls construct a visceral, gritty sound befitting their post-industrial hometown. 

The album's artwork features a burnt out car on a council estate, and the songs within evoke the frustrations of 20-somethings toiling far from Britain's metropolitan "recovery", particularly on the embittered 'Soulless Youth'. It's the sound of a betting slip in your right hand and a Sam Smith's ale in the left, as opposed to an iPhone and a Starbucks latte. Mitchell himself has admitted in previous interviews that he sings as "an outlet... a primal scream", and this is most apparent on the outstanding 'Possessed', as he bellows "I don't want to know you / Because I'm something else".

For all the band's impressive energy and technical ability, however, there are occasional moments when Eagulls' eponymous effort can feel like a chore. 'Fester / Blister', in particular, is a charmless track which falls short in aiming for the chaos of American hardcore bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, instead sounding more akin to a punch-up at a youth club. Indeed, while the high proportion of new tracks on the album can be commended, surely fantastic early singles such as 'Council Flat Blues' are worthy of inclusion.

Despite these flaws, Eagulls have backed up their abrasive image with an accomplished debut record, which hints at much more to follow. Mitchell may sing of gloom and despair, but the dynamism of his band ensures that their debut album is oddly euphoric. Self-degradation has rarely sounded so fun.

FOUR STARS                

Django Django, Manchester Deaf Institute, 29th February

As the encore begins, we are probably the youngest people in the music hall. The cool kids must be doing MDMA out of each other's baseball caps somewhere else. Either way, Django Django have justified their slow-burning hype with a mesmeric live performance.

While the Edinburgh quartet's self-titled debut album is a reasonably endearing electro effort, the band transforms into something altogether more impressive when on stage. Powered by a technically adept rhythm section, the group's one-hour set turns inoffensive album tracks such as 'Firewater' into unstoppable, rabble-rousing juggernauts. The band's myriad array of synths, meanwhile, are utilised with much greater confidence than on the LP. Even vocalist and guitarist Steven Neff delivers his lyrics with a surprising passion, contributing to a sound akin to No Age refereeing a gang fight between Animal Collective and Devo.

Snappy dressers: Edinburgh's Django Django

Impressively turned out in matching T-shirts, the band open with 'Intro/Hail Bop', a track which deploys the synths probably played when nuclear reactors go into meltdown before laughing it all off with a wonderfully anthemic chorus. This swaggering approach continues throughout the set, with the audience whipped into a frenzy by the time recent single 'Default' appears. 'Firewater', meanwhile, keeps the capacity crowd in motion to a deft bassline. The metronomic, cowbell-happy drumming of David Maclean, the group's sometime producer, only adds to the momentum.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the performance, however, is the ease with which Django Django incorporate their more eccentric tendencies into the live show. Whether using halves of a coconut during 'Love's Dart' or embracing traditional Egyptian melodies on 'Skies Over Cairo', these moments seem neither convoluted nor pretentious, but entirely appropriate. It is this rare capacity to combine art-rock flair with dance-punk passion that makes the group's recent emergence so exciting. Go and see them next time they're in town. Take your dad.           

Real Estate Interview and Gig Review

By Thomas McMahon, originally published in The Mancunion 2/11/2011

The Mancunion's Thomas McMahon was on hand to meet Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondaline as the New Jersey fivesome prepared for their gig at Salford's Islington Mill.

TM: What's it like returning to England for a second tour with the band?
MM: We like it, we're very excited to play Manchester tonight then London tomorrow.

TM: A lot of people are saying the new album is cleaner and more focussed, was that a conscious decision by the band?

MM: Yeah, we wanted everything to be higher quality, which involved quite a lot of hard work in the studio.

TM: So was it a stereotypical 'difficult second album'?

MM: Not quite, a lot of the songs were already written, plus we spent a long time between our first and second album.

TM: You've recently switched label from Woodsist to Domino, what inspired that move?
MM: Well, they offered us a really good record deal on a bigger label. Plus, they're based in London which should mean we can play over here more often.

Real Estate's apparently pre-anointed passage to the indie pantheon stumbled under the concrete ceiling of Salford's Islington Mill after an underwhelming live performance. An enthusiastic audience, possibly enticed by a string of reviews lauding sophomore album Days, was left unconvinced by a string of passable psych-pop strumalongs.

The set started promisingly, with opener 'Municipality' showing the band's technical proficiency and knack for crafting delicate melodies. Recent single, 'It's Real', also proved a highlight, with the rhythm section playing tightly and with admirable energy. However, the set soon became bogged down in repetitive surf-influenced riffs, with lead singer Martin Courtney's underpowered vocals often drowning in a swollen sea of feedback and reverb. The band's spirited cover of Felt's 'Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow', meanwhile, merely highlighted the Americans' poor lyrics in comparison to the Birmigham new wave outfit.

While every member of the band played with genuine skill, Real Estate nevertheless proved themselves to be a group which is easy to admire but hard to love. Throughout the set, the five-piece showed neither the earnest conviction of fellow New Jerseyans such as Titus Andronicus and Vivian Girls nor the pop sensibilities of superior beach bums such as Surfer Blood. As heads slowly nodded but feet remained fixed to the floor, this malaise was reflected in the crowd.

RATING: 3 Stars