Demos

Dont Tread On Spiders - Monomyth

Owain Paciuszko 20/12/2008

Rating: 4/5

Formerly Cardiff's The Days, they've now - like Mohawk in 'Gremlins 2' - transformed into 'Spiders', ahem. This debut four-track starts off with a ear-catching intro to 'My Week in Shinjuku', and it continues to please the ears by a being a mesh between angular post punk and 60s pop. This two girls and a guy three-piece fit together as snugly as old slippers, a fitting analogy for the track 'Together Again' with its folk-strumming, gentle drumline and flute is a warm cup of tea and crumbly biscuits. It's an uplifting and apologetic number as lead singer Sonny Day states 'I didn't mean to make you feel lonely.'

The title trick begins off ominously with a growling guitar and bassline played out over The Velvet Undeground-ish drums, it's another shift in direction for the band and again they wear it well. Unlike other bands that shift awkwardly as they try to fit their influences, Don't Tread On Spiders take a careful dash of what intrigued them about other bands and give it their own gloss.

The EP ends on the weakest track, 'St. Anthony' is a half-sung poem pronounced over a school hall sounding piano and lacks the eerie emotion to really make it resonate. It feels more like a footnote rather than a fitting close to a darn fine debut release from this highly accomplished band, I look forward to hearing more from them.