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Torpedoes are a coiled snake of repressed anger. "Liberty Bell" is a good example of this. This alternative rock stalks out of your speakers, all dark glasses and attitude. I'm filled with a hankering to listen to 90s Indie icons The Godfathers again. Just because Torpedoes are filled with rage, it doesn't mean they can't sweeten the pill with some mellifluous guitars over the post-punk sounds. Spooky organ ushers in "Twisted Love Song" before the other instruments join the fray to give the song the urgency of Killing Joke. Just because things are fast and furious it doesn't mean Torpedoes can't give us a tune, which adds power to the punch. The band understand that relentlessness leads to bludgeoning and a diluting of the message, which is perhaps why "Thrown It All Away" features predatory bass and sustained guitars during the verse. The fantastically titled "My Lunch With Bullet Brain" shows the heavier side of the band. The thunderous guitars carry the listener forward on a tide of oil-slick black noise.
Torpedoes show an excellent grasp of dynamic during "Slave", which has a quiet verse and a loud chorus. Both sections are made more effective by their difference from each other. Extra marks also for the intriguing lyrics that run: 'Take me back wartime/'Cos I miss you like a slave.' There is plenty of guitar madness in the middle eight. "Straight Jacket" is built around a twisting and turning bass guitar. Experimental guitars buzz and drone in the background. It sounds a little like a nightmare, images created partly by the lyrics: 'Nazi sisters choke and twist us.' This is an uncomfortable listen, but a compelling one. When the chorus kicks in the nightmare darkens, but the rush is exquisite. More nightmare imagery is contained in "Wreck" with its talk of 'bad trips' and 'drips'. There's something of Automatic-era Jesus and Mary Chain about "Mecca Mechanic". Just when you think you've got Torpedoes sussed they throw "Glorious Day" your way. It's one of those songs that sound summery if you don't listen to the words. The acoustic guitars are light and the singing is apparently carefree. It's only on closer listening that you realise the words tell a tale of 'headless kids', 'nails down the blackboard' and 'pneumatic drills in my temple again'. The faux-orchestra ending just adds to the fun. There just remains "Paradise", with its hints of Pixies guitar to bring the album to a close. Torpedoes are a perfect band to listen to when life is getting too much, when you are feeling angry rather than depressed. They vary the template enough to keep things interesting, particularly with "Glorious Day". They have the sound that suggests they are well worth checking out live. |
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