Cougar Microbes

I’ve been following Kick Up The Fire ever since I heard the South London outfits early demos (and subsequently photographed them on a few occasions) so it was with some pride that I unwrapped the bands self titled mini album.

The boys have been perfecting these songs on the live stage for the past year and these songs showcase a band firing on all cylinders. This is an accurate snapshot of where the 4-piece stand today and special credit should go to Got Mics for the first class production.

Album opener ‘These Canvas Shoes‘ is an immediate burst of energy boasting soaring choruses and deceivingly straightforward verses built on an almighty guitar riff. Vocalists Kenny and Thom volley vocals assaults at each other over drummer Andrew‘s relentless attack. The whole track comes perilously close to collapsing under its own awesomeness… it doesn’t and instead races past the finishing line in Usain Bolt style.

Tracks ‘No Fun In London‘ and ‘Cocktails And Gold‘ are kindred spirits sounding like Franz Ferdinand after a large hit of  performance enhancing drugs. Both offer more hooks than a regional angling club. The former is an observation of the capital’s darker side yet ultimately comes through as surprisingly upbeat whilst Cocktails is it’s angrier and judgmental older brother; catchy and danceable but packing one hell of a punch.

‘No Hotel Room‘ is the bands deceptive (anti) pop song and a change of pace and mood. A tale of a media hounded politician; the main line “he’s having bad sex, you like to talk about it, you’re having no sex maybe, you should go get your fix” is a stab at celebrity and tabloid culture.

‘The Never-Ever Ending Story‘ is a bass lead scorcher that returns to the high tempo previously set and owes a slight debt to Thursday with its guitar intricacies. Like the rest of the album it is packed with melodies, question/answer singing and a penchant for a gang vocal to beef up certain key messages. Still, if you scratch under the surface you’ll discover lyrics that are observationally astute and witty.

Nowhere is this more evident than on closer ‘Because Of You‘, the bands proverbial “slow one”. This is a tale of an apparent bitter breakup told over  a stunning and captivating crescendo that never subsides. The lyric “go runaway, go join a bank, gonna count my debts while I get drunk” is so sharp it should come with a warning.

Kick Up The Fire‘s self-titled mini album is out in November on You And Whose Army? Records. The band are having an album launch party on the 18th of November. Show your support!

The mini album is catchy and full of potential and it would be a travesty if this band are still unsigned this time next year.

TRACKS:

Kick Up The Fire – Cocktails and Gold

Emulating Jimmy Eat World, who self-funded their album ‘Bleed American’ in 2001 before licensing the release to DreamWorks records, Wolf Am I wrote and recorded debut LP ‘Lead The Way’ earlier this year then promptly set about finding a label to promote it. That label was Alcopop! Records, who boast an impressive back catalogue including a 2006 release by Cougar favourites Encyclopedia, waiting in the wings.

The resulting album is both confident and proficient and flows from groove heavy verses to anthemic choruses. First single ‘Glasgow 7‘ comes complete with big harmonies, chorus-heavy nicely toned guitar, dirty power chords and driving bass conjuring up similarities to big acts like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday. The Berkshire boys can hold their own in this company.

Unfortunately, resulting from the influx of Drive-thru Records bands in the early to mid noughtees, it remains to be seen whether there is still a UK market for uber-polished-American-infused-emo-college-rock. Only time will tell.

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Guest post by Kenny the aggravator

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TRACK:

Wolf Am I – Lex Talionis

As part of their Little Break,  Big Difference campaign Eurostar are sending your friendly neighbourhood blogger on a 3 day adventure to Paris for the Rock En Seine festival.

The line up looks brilliant with some familiar faces from my music collection and the Cougar Microbes archives including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Passion Pit, Bloc Party, Dananananaykroyd, Billy Talent, Calvin Harris, Metric, Eagles Of Death Metal and MGMT as well as some golden veterans including Faith No More, Oasis, Madness, The Offspring and The Prodigy.

I may even get the chance to interview some of them so let me know if there are any burning questions you would like me to ask.

Regular programming shall resume soon.

TRACK:

Thursday – Paris In Flames