Since Wolf Alice’s My Love Is Cool was robbed of its rightful No.1 spot by the eviscerated banshee death screeches of Florence & The Machine, the vacancy for the prime breakthrough act of the British grunge revival – a scene we’d be calling Brunge if that didn’t sound like a gross mid-morning meal – remains open.
From Newcastle via Brighton, Demob Happy have more than a fighting chance at the title thanks to their grisly, Joey Santiago guitar wails and wild fits of Nirvana being tacked to accessible Vines-like melodies and some distinctly Britrock touches.
Witness how the steamy Chili Pepper funk scuzz of Succubus gives way to a chorus that might have been lopped off of Supergrass during the Britpop wars, while singer Matt Marcantonius snarls about being ‘brainwashed by BBC’.
The record brims with such proud nods to British rock classicism; take the way Junk DNA shifts time signature half a dozen times in honour of our noble prog traditions, or the anti-banker punk ire of Haat De Stank, the sharp end of Demob’s keen political edge.
Dream Soda is further conclusive proof that the cultural cauldron bubbling with US sludge and UK sparkle is currently brewing rock’s elixir of life.
Classic Rock 215: New Albums A-G
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