Review

It’s been two years since the last EP by Belfast institution LaFaro, so it’s about time we had some new material to enjoy at our leisure, especially as recent live sets have been full of it. This self-released, hand-designed little number fits the bill nicely, with a debut album supposedly on the way next year. Although with those boys, you never can be sure.

Anyone who has seen the band in their new four-piece incarnation is likely to recognise at least a couple of these songs, and even for those who have only heard the first EP, there are few surprises. The band’s scuzzy, riff-driven alt. rock hasn’t changed, but happily the quality has been kept high. ‘Mr. Heskey’, re-recorded here, first appeared on this years Oh Yeah Sessions compilation, and the new version is little altered, other than being a bit tougher, harder and, well, better. Lead track ‘Leningrad’ and the fierce ‘All Of These Things’ are similarly high octane, but the most interesting thing here is ‘Great Conversations Remembered’, a moody, nasty little number whose oblique lyrics see Jonny Black admit “I was smoking by the time I reached the age of 13.” It rides along patiently on Herb Magee’s Pixies-esque bassline before reaching a tense breakdown, culminating in Black chanting “I didn’t know you’d died” with all the spittle-flecked spite he can muster. Which is a lot, as he’s a frontman in the tradition of David Yow and Steve Albini – what he lacks in singing ability, he makes up for in sardonic charisma and attitude.

The band has chosen to only sell this EP at gigs (there’s not even a mention of it on their MySpace page), so if you get hold of a copy, cherish it. Let’s hope we’re not waiting as long for the album. Chris Jones

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DOWNLOAD: ‘GREAT CONVERSATIONS REMEMBERED’, ‘ALL OF THESE THINGS’.
FOR FANS OF: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE JESUS LIZARD, THE FALL.

Posted on: 27th January 2010

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