Sure, it’s a silly name for a band, but let Echo and the Bunnymen cast the first stone. Close Lobsters make deceptively maive pop, like their fellow Scots Orange Juice (but in tune) and the Jesus and Mary Chain (without the feedback). But they’re really pop: not the “yeah, yeah, yeah” chorus of “I Take Bribes” and the Beatlesque harmonies of “I Kiss The Flower In Bloom.” On this impeccable debut, each track is a tuneful gem.
Close Lobsters layer on the guitars: crystalline electrics to carry the melody, strummy acoustics to help create those well-thought textures. It adds up to a jangling sound, especially on “Pimps” and “Foxheads”, but with a punky propulsion. Though the music is hectic, the melodies are strong, and tunes like “In Spite Of These Times” evoke a desperate sense of romance.
The singing isn’t perfect, but there’s something about an unpolished voice singing real melodies that is convincing and affecting. The lyrics brush up against the music in interesting ways- amid the Motowny bop of “Sewer Pipe Dream”, Andrew Burnett sweetly sings, “I had a dead body in my mouth/ What could I do but spit it out?”
The finale, the nearly eight-minute long “Mother Of God,” owes a serious debt to the seminal New York band Television. An epic guitar raveup is a big departure from the seamless set pieces that precede it, but Close Lobsters rock out fiercely on the song, as lead guitarist Graeme Wilmington lays down titanic power chords over a single droning riff. It’s a killer track that is best played at rug-curling volume.
This record is long out of print so good luck finding a copy. In the meantime, click the link below for the album.
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