Having first heard them at the 'Fear of Fiction/008' compilation release show (which features their incredible track 'Lucid'), they struck me as much more of an indie-pop venture. A, then, five-piece, punching out fast paced tracks with an almost agressive energy.
Since then they have now been stripped back to a four piece, with lead singer Mark Juggins now held back behind a guitar, rather than being able to walk the length and breadth of the stage as before. Yet their stage presence has not been comprimised. They still command the stage with their passion for making a gorgeous wall of noise and just generally really interesting songcraft.
Their upcoming debut EP entitled 'Not Mathematics' is also to be released through brilliant Bristol label 'Fear of Fiction' and the band are their second official signing (after Idles). It is a much more post-punk swayed affair than their previous offerings. First single 'Balancing Act' managed to reach the top 20 on NME's most watched videos, made even more impressive by the fact that it is little more than 2 minutes and half of that is an ambient sound introduction.
Now new track 'Like Whistles' has been given the video treatment and it is as chaotic and surreally beautiful as the song itself. It's got a great hook, as all good songs do, but what really stands out for me is their ability to make a guitar sound like a completely different instrument. At times it sounds like synth or keys, at other extremes almost like an indistinctive orchestral sound, some kind of horn/string mutant.
They've got what loads of bands would kill for, pure originality, and that is something that no amount of production or expensive equipment can buy you. Let's hope to hear more of it when 'Not Mathematics' is released in a few days time (March 4th). You can preorder it here. Watch 'Like Whistles' below and also check out first single 'Balancing Act' here.