Southampton’s Band of Skulls make scuzzy, blues-infused rock with just the right balance of sun-kissed stomp and melancholic brilliance.
Their seductive but catchy, raunchy but plodding melodies, with dual vocals of Emma Richardson and Russell Marsden, owe more than just a nod to The Kills and The White Stripes, but go beyond mere imitation. These guys have the tunes as well.
Stand out track ‘Fires’ is smoky midnight velvet while ‘What I Am’ oozes like runny honey. Duffers are few and far between, although ‘Patterns’’ count-to-ten lyrics are jarringly trite while ‘Cold Fame’ seems an underwhelming way to end what is essentially a strong debut.
7/10
Words by Dannii Leivers
