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The Brute Chorus are finally releasing their self titled debut album, and it's fair to say they're making an impression on people.
Firstly, they released their debut single Chateau (along with B-side The Cuckoo And The Stolen Heart) on a label run out of a pre-fire Hawley Arms following a residency in the notorious London music media watering hole. Sadly though, they were largely overlooked in favour of Amy Winehouse and Johnny Borrell when it came to that fire.
Secondly, they disregarded the standard studio album, instead recording their first album in front of three hundred people at Camden's Roundhouse Studio. In one take. In one hour. Six weeks later the band heard the final mix but left it over six months before releasing the album to build a bigger fan base. Brave.
Fortunately, the logistics and pitfalls of the live album were thought through before recording began. Rather than allowing their first album to sound like an average live album - echo-ey, distant and slightly tinny - all the band were close miked. The result of this, and good production, is that the sound retains the clarity of a studio album, and allows the soul of the live album to peek through in between songs with the crowds' cheers and applause.
A great decision was to leave mistakes in the recording. Leading into The Ransom, singer James Steel stops, points out his mistake and quickly quips that he'll 'abuse himself later' for it. The crowd responds accordingly with woops and cheers and an amusing if slightly odd 'arriba arriba' - perhaps Speedy Gonzalez was in the crowd. This gives the album character and warmth that is often lacking in the clinical studio album.
Their tale telling songs range in content from love and heartbreak to murder via Greek mythology (tracks Hercules and Blind Ulysses). In an interview the band claimed that they would rather be compared with folk music than the oft-mentioned blues in case people think they sound like Eric Clapton. While it's easy to put them partially in the blues category, it is easier to relate their storytelling to folk music. Debut single Chateau demonstrates their use of metaphors perfectly, telling the story of being weary of letting someone into their home but ultimately referring to their heart. Lines such as "You look just like a wolf my dear, though you're wearing clever clothes" are testament to the clever language use and references in their lyrics.
Foals-y track Hercules is the perfect opener for the album. Maintaining a staccato rhythm of guitars, surprisingly reminiscent of The Knacks' My Sharona, the simplicity of this track is its beauty. It's easy to listen to and great for gently easing the listener into The Brute Chorus's unique style. The band seem to always sound like they're on the verge of letting all hell break loose, using their exclusive position on stage to just make a lot of noise for no reason. Two minutes into Hercules and this is just what happens. Just for a few seconds the exterior cracks and their inner devil is revealed - and it's no bad thing.
By far the most energetic track is The Cuckoo And The Stolen Heart. Using a bluegrass banjo riff, the track could easily descend into a repeat of the Duelling Banjos scene of Deliverance. Borrowing the vocal talents of female singer Tigs adds a new dimension where the male and female counterparts discuss infidelity, revenge and murder.
Ultimately, this is a powerful first album that perfectly demonstrates the potential of The Brute Chorus. It's easy to understand how the band have drawn comparisons with The Bad Seeds, The White Stripes and even Jonny Cash, but they've pulled off that wonderful trick of making it sound like something new.
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