Demos

Screaming Maldini - Secret Sounds

Owain Paciuszko 10/05/2009

Rating: 4/5

Erratic jerky pop from Sheffield seven-piece manages to sound both delightfully wonky whilst epic and packed with invention. Title track Secret Sounds is a Munch Munch-esque cacophony of choruses, twinkling bells, spiky guitars, handclaps and stop-starts. Yet despite its juddering, halting structure it has all the verve and build of a indie dancefloor filler; coming across like a Muppet Babies Bloc Party.

B-side The Extraordinary pitches trumpets against synths, the lead vocals channel - oddly - The Jam, whilst the instrumentation flirts with seventies sci-fi backing vocals and woodblocks into something strangely romantic, if batty.

This single is 'tight and compact like spam', fit to bursting with ideas, energy and a soupçon of madness. It's somewhat of an aural assault, but is never dull and retains a consistent nod to pop dynamics and making songs that stick like glue.