Spitalfield are Chicago-based, impossibly young and dangerously close to overtaking Saves The Day in the race for the emo world domination. Yes, Spitalfield are all these things and much more.
The freshfaced quartet have apparently materialised from nowhere to drop one of the debuts of the year on our unsuspecting stereos. Sounding at once instantly memorable and just scruffy enough around the edges to put off your average Drive-Thru fan, ‘Remember Right Now’ is amazing as much in scope as it is in consistency. Almost nothing here dips beneath the quality control standards set by ace first single, ‘I Loved The Way She Said “L.A.”’, with ‘Those Days You Felt Alive’ and ‘Am I Ready?’ among the handful of tracks with the potential for individual release.
Crucially, the band cope as well with slow, melodic material, as they do with their guitar-heavy rockers. While ‘Stolen From Some Great Writer’ and ‘Five Days And Counting’ both rely on killer guitar hooks and piles of ace distortion, ‘In The Same Lifetime’ is the ballad that Silverchair have been striving to perfect for years. Throughout, Dan Lowder’s subtle yet intricate chiming guitar parts lend vitality and colour to the mix, elevating him even at this stage as one of the genre’s brightest talents.
I really can’t say enough good things about this band. What I can say is this: if you like songs packed with memorable choruses and The All American Rejects et al are a little too polished for you, then look no further. Just take a trip to Spitalfield and let this bunch of reprobates suck you in with their wonderfully gooey, puppy-eyed charms. You’ll never leave.
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8Tom Edwards's Score