EP Reviews: Wonder Villians: ‘Oh Peter’ & Furlo: ‘Signature’
July 7, 2010 No Comments
“Oh Peter”/”Running In Circles”
Independent Release
Already hitting the Northern Irish airwaves with a welcomed vibrant optimism, ‘Oh Peter’ is the sound of genuine teen-pop spirit free from the diluted and calculated clutch of [Simon] Cowellism.
It is rare for a young band to have a focus free from even a minimal pastiche of their musical heroes, but Derry four-piece The Wonder Villains are navigating their own crusade, with a supporting cast of characters from their favourite television programmes and movies.
With a steadfast belief that the three minute pop song can still make the world smile, The Wonder Villains are a delightful slice of youthful refreshment. Recorded in Strabane, with Peter Doherty at the desk, ‘Oh Peter’ is a fizzy can of pop packed with instantly catchy electro hooks and melodies, and is based on a character from American television series ‘Heroes’, who, we’re informed, “exploded at the end of season one”.
B-side ‘Running In Circles’, recorded in Belfast and produced by Rocky O’Reilly, one half of the dearly missed electro duo, Oppenheimer, is every bit its A-side’s equal, with a breezy synth buzz humming throughout. Leading Wonder Villains, Eimear Coyle and Cheylene Murphy, share the vocals and give us a hint of what The Ramones may have sounded like with a synthesiser.
There is so much to be optimistic about when listening to The Wonder Villains. Already their infectious vibrancy has recently taken them to the Radio One Big Weekend in Wales – not bad for a band still at school. Theirs is a crusade that it will be keenly observed.
www.myspace.com/thewondervillains
Recommended for fans of: Hot Chip; Katy Perry; Kim Wilde
By Mickey Ferry
“Signature” EP
Independent Release
Derry/Limavady indie-rock five-piece Furlo have already been tagged as ‘Killers Meets Feeder’, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on where you stand on such judgments. However, all three tracks on this ‘Signature’ EP capture a band well seasoned in live performance, with a hit and run adrenalin-rush dominating proceedings throughout.
Frantic drumming chases power-chord-pop on ‘Cruellest Friends’, where the befitting hoarse vocals only break the elegant chaos on occasion for a fragile falsetto.
‘Minute Hand’ maintains a quiet verse/loud chorus formula, with Stewart Copeland-esque drum-tapping backing the song’s jagged Alex Turner-like vocals just prior to a disorderly chorus. Even the welcomed addition of synth is subtle enough to be appropriate as opposed to overly extravagant.
‘Never Enough’ is strong on riffs and heavy bass, with the band starring as their own backing choir in probable anticipation of the anthemic potential of such a strong track.
Furlo are one of the busiest new bands in the north at present and have just secured a spot at this summer’s Glasgowbury festival. They will surely be one of the kings of the mountain that very day if this solid EP is anything to go by
Recommended For Fans of: Foo Fighters; Arctic Monkeys; The Futureheads
By Mickey Ferry