Demos

Kostoglotov - We Shouldn't Have Listened At School

Owain Paciuszko 21/10/2010

Rating: 4/5

From the fuzzy lo-fi opening of Rousseau Oh No! you know you're in good hands, it ebbs and flows like the introduction to an 80's sci-fi psychedelic horror with pretentions on greatness and the fizz of the four track recording brings a warmth to the track's otherwise eerie sounds. It eases itself into Freakshow On Rollerblades which has a cheap and cheerfully uptempo drum machine beat and oscillating Casiotone-style keyboard sounds as a guitar thrashes around quietly in the corner. As the guitar turns into a more buoyant suggestion of a tune the track takes on the form of The Flaming Lips in happy-psych-rock wig-out mode. It rattles on with mutters of vocals and similar whistles, sounding weirdly like a live version of a Lemon Jelly track.

The Monkeys Are In Charge sounds like a Commodore 64 Joy Division, the guitar grumbling despondently over a hypnotic drum-loop and gurgles and stutters from the keyboard. Final track A Happy Failure wraps itself around a sustained keyboard groan, with twinkly glockenspiel played a little off-beat and a clutter of percussion. Guitar enters the track adding an optimistic send-off to this scrappy and playful melody wrapping this pleasant little ep up wonderfully.

I don't know much about this band other than they're from London/Southend and they recorded this in a bedroom, regardless of its roots it's a really lovely little record and it's free from their bandcamp page so go and download it now. Very keen to hear more from this group.