(As published for PushToFire.com)
You’d
be excused for thinking Indie was saturated. Too many Wombats, Enemy
and Cribs-style outfits frightened of overdrive pedals, quite content
with keeping inside the “piercingly-clean guitar” and “let’s sing in
nauseating regional accents” boundaries as defined by a certain
freezing cold primate predecessor!
However,
this is not so with ‘The Race’ - the latest offering from London-based
‘Cajun Dance Party’. It’s as if they’ve observed the many pitfalls with
this currently and unjustifiably popular musical genre, discarded them
and given the remains a much-welcomed burst of enthusiasm.
A
song best described as “Milburn with a bit of bite” and sounding almost
‘Shadows’-like in places, this is one of few examples of modern-day
fusion, combining your average jangly pop drivel with an innocently
intermittent piano melody and even encompassing a ‘Panic At The
Disco’-reminiscent string background element towards the end, adding a
certain sparkle to the proceedings!
The Kooks-esque vocal style of
frontman Daniel Blumberg coupled with the band’s evident competence in
musical innovation make this a very enjoyable listen, and well worth a
play or two before making up your mind for certain.
Full marks
for the experimental approach with this one, and with a modern-day
slant on Del Shannon 60’s classic ‘Runaway’ as the B-side, it seems
that this youthfully eloquent and passionate quintet are set for big
things to come – keep an eye out!
Adam Scholey