A great return from the London-based quartet!
We originally saw Explode The TV live about a year and a half ago, and were dazzled not only by their highly dance-worthy brand of post-punk, but also by singer Bentley Browning’s silver jacket (oh, and the fact that he gave 100% as a frontman). They released a great album, ‘Unbreakable’, shortly afterwards, and that title proved prophetic – they’re back now, after a somewhat challenging year, and they sound better than ever.
This EP is only ten minutes long, so that’s perfect for my gnat-like attention span. Opener ‘Catching The Rain’ rides in on a fabulously groovy bass line and those shimmering post-punk guitars that Explode The TV have long made their stock in trade. There are echoes of The Cure and also echoes of the Bunnymen*. Second track ‘1+1=3’ features a wide-screen chorus that is already firmly lodged in my subconscious, and the closing ‘Stratosphere’ starts off darkly reminiscent of Joy Division before exploding into life; easily among the best things the band have written.
Overall, as comeback statements go, this EP is up there with the best of them, and you can be sure that these songs will sound even better live. Catch them at them at their pre-Christmas gig at London’s The Spice Of Life on December 20th – tickets available HERE.
*see what we did there?
- Catching The Rain
- 1+1=3
- Stratosphere
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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