NEW MUSIC: Famous – ‘England’

London’s Famous release mini-album ‘England’ via Untitled [Recs].

Such is the unique and futuristic strange of Famous‘s artistic approach to music, comparisons are hard to draw. But here we go.

There are elements of LCD Soundsystem‘s subtle sonic builds, which explode into an anxious exhibition of experimental sound structure and lyrical expression. This is most apparent on opener England 2, which has distant touches of piano and a choppy bassline which projects Jack Merrett’s vocal into fury.

Surf’s Up! shines a light on Famous‘s ability to tell disjointed yet gripping stories of modern day London. Wonky-pop meets heavy electronic textures and anxiety-inducing moments that catch the listener off-guard.

Forever wraps itself around your ears with a Viagra Boys-esque story of love through the eyes of punk-inspired NYC electro-pop. It’s touching, and perhaps their most lyrically revealing. It’s anthemic, late-2000’s synth sound and moments of pure ecstasy are quite profound. The track wouldn’t be out of place played next to Jerskin Fendrix or Audiobooks.

The anxious groove of Jack’s House takes on a hypnotic krautrock momentum, leaving fresh air for vocalist Jack Merrett to project his frantic vocals. The track breaks it’s restraint and erupts into a whirlwind of noise, but just for a moment, before regaining it’s focus. Such is the ferocity of the track’s lyrical themes, at one point there must a release, and Jack’s House provides just that. Tightly wound and explosive in equal measure, the track stands out as a focal point on the release.

2004 builds off the back of Jack’s House, a story of family and a reflective moment of the mini-album. Synths distort the tracks reality, whilst the guitars and bass build into a stadium-sized breakdown. Yet again another ambitious effort which works so well with the lyrical content so close to home.

Final track My Crumpet channels the best of Nick Cave‘s lyrical intimacy, also that of Australian cult heroes The Drones frontman Gareth Liddiard. Grand splashes of piano adorn the track which ends the mini-album, a complex mix of anxiety, rage and experimental pop promise.

Live Dates
6^th June – Sebright Arms, London

Eyesore & The Jinx – ‘Swill’ – A relentless, agitated and unrelenting attack.

Martha Skye Murphy – ‘Black Eye’ – An ambient and devastatingly intimate return.

By Karl Johnson