
Stolen Wheelchairs – Impossible
There’s this sound of crushing feedback and badly played instruments with amps turned up to 10 that reminds me of the demos, bootlegs, and occasional early 80s punk albums that, to me, are as pure as summer rain.
Now, if you’re going to form a punk band of that ilk, a certain level of aggression to your music is to be expected and, eventually, demanded of from your newly acquired fans. What has happened since bands like the Germs were knocking about is that music production has become cheaper and more efficient.
Without these fresh colours to play with, Stolen Wheelchairs might sound a bit like the Germs. However, with a nice production on their side, Impossible adds a pop element that makes the tune palatable, we think, for most music listeners. Gang vocals and super-sized riffs make Stolen Wheelchairs the pop-punk group that, when live events return, should thrive if they decide that they want to.
Dummy – Suddenly
I’ll let you in on a little secret. What most goth kids and death rockers secretly desire the most is to be song & dance men/women. There’s darkness and tiring drama to goth sure. There’s a tireless amount of self-expression and stuff-strutting to the drama class too.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not an undying hit, with punks and goths crowds especially, by sheer accident. Secretly, all these subcultures love a good show tune, dressing up, scaring people if possible, but, most of all, performing.
Dummy understand this well enough and are determined to marry the cold, harsh realities of the goth-sphere, to the endless hopefulness of modern indie arena-rock. Their songs are catchy, their choruses are loud and fist-pumping and enticing. Suddenly is a great calling card. It should get them on the radio, major festival bills, or at the very least some free drinks in a rock bar, on a Saturday night. We are hopeful of all three.