New Rhodes @ Faversham
By Danny Martin
Southampton scamps Black Nielson swan onto the stage with all the demeanour of your average tramp plodding down the lane to the offie to buy a four pack of kestrel super strength. No not a damn trace of rock and roll aura anyway, not a smidging. Thank the lord then that as recompense they are blessed with an ability to create epic music for the masses to sway along to.
The next half hour of my life is wonderful. Quirky, euphorious tunes that skip merrily thorough your senses. Stopping to picnic in your soul with lashings of cucumber sandwiches and gin. Sucker punched by the odd off route screaming guitar solo or bruising bassline. This really is musically candy.
With the fad-du-jour been to throw someone on the old ivories when forming a rock band, this is becoming pretty tiresome and predictable. Either becoming a lost voice amidst a sea of guitars and bass or, and this is my pet hate, becoming the only projected force thus distorting a songs whole make-up. Black Nielson have strutted nowhere near to this cliff and instead pad most of their tunes out with utterly the most delectable but haunting keys you will ever hear.
In short Black Nielson are well worth a listen, my heart telling me to dance and enjoy the romp, my brain cautioning me that maybe just maybe, loosing my mind to these melodies may transport me to a parallel musical universe. Hell, I don't care. Let's dance.
With my mind still spinning New Rhodes step up. And step up with some favour tailing them. Not content with been the best thing to emanate from Bristol since Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the Clifton suspension bridge they have been name checked by everyone in music and received numerous plays on Radio 1 and XFM. So New Rhodes are obviously doing something right. Well in short they are. But in long (Eh, does that make sense!?) my humble view sees them straddling the final fence.
Like a band your Dad would like, New Rhodes do everything well. From the fresh-faced, bright-eyed radiance (with a nice, purposeful hint of rock weariness thrown in for good measure), to the Top-man/Oxfam tight jeans and striped Henley's collared t-shirts they don, every bit of them yells rock stars. And Christ they can play as well. Previewing material from the spanking new "You given me something I can't give back" single and various previous outings, NRs set is polished and urgent, which pleases me no end. Appear on stage. Rock the Faversham to its knees. Bleed a few ears. Piss off. Top stuff.
Tell you what, and take this anyway you see fit. Either slit your wrists or praise whichever god you wish, but New Rhodes remind me of Shed Seven. Hurrah. Intelligently simple, lucid melodies and cavernous vocals. Subtle bass tones and unpretentious, innocent rifts. I am hooked already, wooohooo, my feet are even dancing a merry jig under my table as we speak "Cause after time, you can think differently. I realise I didn't like you anyway... do do do do do do do do do do".
So where to now? Honestly I hope New Rhodes just carry on as they are. There is no quick and easy answer in getting over that final fence and landing in Stardom Avenue. Circumstances and luck can play a big part in the final push. And the best New Rhodes can do is just play on. Happy, thoughtful, poetic melodies will always have a significant place in music and this is what is hanging from New Rhodes musical tree. Branches, which I for one hope bear the fruit they richly deserve. A damn fine evening, Ta lads.
