ELITE : REVIEW
ELITE : REVIEW
Pulled Apart By Horses - The Haze Amplify Recordings | Release Date : 17th March 2017
Pulled Apart By Horses have long been a band that have been stuck in the limbo which bridges filthy rock and party indie . In the early days , with albums such as their self-titled 2010 debut and follow up ‘ Tough Love ’, this felt an injustice ; they should have been succeeding as the next big thing . 2014 ’ s ‘ Blood ’ however , showcased why they weren ’ t getting the fame they once deserved . Now , three years on , ‘ The Haze ’ somewhat rectifies Pulled Apart By Horses edge , but alas still leaves them trying to break out of limbo .
The problem with ‘ The Haze ’ is that the album becomes its name . Each song blurs into one another with little distinction or dimension between the riffs and melodies that flow through its body . That ’ s not to say there is no enjoyment to it . ‘ The Big What If ’, ‘ Neighbourhood Witch ’ and ‘ Moonbather ’ all brim with psychedelic groove and grinding rock that Pulled Apart By Horses do so well . Even the Fratellis-esque bounce of ‘ Hotel Motivation ’ is great . But with halfhearted feeling in ‘ Prince Of Meats ’ and ‘ My Evil Twin ’, ‘ The Haze ’ feels like it ’ s trying too hard to be something bigger than itself . Simply put , it just lacks the raw originality this band burst onto the scene with seven years ago .
“ You win some and you lose some ” repeats Tom on ‘ Flash Lads ’, a fitting phrase for album number four .
VUKOVI - VUKOVI LAB Records | Release Date : 10th March 2017
Rarely do debuts coming out the gates with guns blazing so hot they set fire to the world ; VUKOVI , however , have done just that . The Scottish quartet have been cultivating their unique neon rock sound across some fantastic EPs since 2011 but this debut album is on a whole new level .
From the opening strangles of ‘ La Di Da ’ through to the electric re-works of ‘ Boy George ’ and ‘ Animal ’, VUKOVI display exactly why they are a force to be reckoned with . There ’ s poppy melodies , Ibiza-fuelled breakdowns , gnarly riffs and a vocalist of unique nature . Janine ’ s vocals are one of the highlights on this album , whether it be in the gentle wisps of ‘ Colour Me In ’ or the passionate cries of ‘ He Wants Me Not ’, her voice captivates you , sucks you in and makes you sing her words about love , life and being the underdog with free abandonment . That vibe of losing your inhibitions leaves you wanting to stay part of VUKOVI ’ s party over and over again and that is where they have struck gold with this album . ‘ And He Lost His Mind ’ boasts live favourite and the incredible ‘ Target Practice ’ blows this album wide open .
Listening to VUKOVI is always a lot of fun but this album is the most fun you can have whilst keeping your clothes on . Welcome to the big time VUKOVI , you ’ re welcome to stay forever .
Words by Alice Hoddinott
Words by Alice Hoddinott
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