Tag: 2013

“Haunting electronic elegy for post-industrial Britain.”

I have been pretty much immersing myself in bands who are playing at the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia over the past few weeks. I have been picking bands at random off a bill even more extensive than the one I got for my last car service, and have been having a great time. It was not until I alighted on Alfa 9 however that I realised how much my ears had become attuned to the distortion of hundreds of tracks. They sounded so clean when they came jangling out of my speakers.

Cocky, front, talented, geezer, tone, bouncy, energetic, edgy, indie, catchy, interesting, fairground, ska, pub, beer, melody, life affirming, quirky, intelligence, Rock n Roll, much harder to do than you think, English, harmony, rockhowilikesit, leftfield, bright, stomper, alive, happier & so much more-how about you?

David is a talented musician & songwriter & I for one can’t wait to hear his debut album.If the songs are anywhere near as good as ‘Same Things’ we are all in for a massive treat.

Just put the song on repeat,tell your friends & enjoy-thats all you need to know-3 & a half minutes-Bang-job done! Over to you David.

“Somewhere between prog, electronica and kosmische music you’ll find this Sicilian duo, madly stabbing a keyboard”

A fascinating combination of sounds and ideas, drawing from the last half-century of electronic music. 

I put Baltic Fleet on and hours go by without even realising. The music is a totally immersive experience. You lose yourself in the sound of nostalgic indie guitars and swirling synths. The steady drumbeat and repetitive melodies keep you on track though; you feel determined and invincible.

Essex has a bit of form when it comes to delivering maverick pop geniuses with a gift for mixing a smidgeon of music hall with a dash of 60s pop and creating inspired, but intelligent tunes. And the latest to join such luminaries as Ian Dury, Jake Shillingford and Damon Albarn is Blow Up record’s new signing Southend boy David Woodcock whose magnificent debut single is presented here. Same Things is a wonderful distillation of everything that is great about quirky English pop music. From its dry, rather downbeat lyrics through to its Madness ska-lite beat in the verse and soar away chorus this is the type of tune that hasn’t been heard since the glory days of Brit pop. Not the dry Oasis 60s re-treads but The Blur of The Great Escape, Supergrass’ debut and The Auteurs before they got too prententious And it is also delivered in a vocal style that’s pure Essex. He really has to be a relative of Jake Shillingford. Anyhow David Woodcock has an album coming in the Autumn. You just know it is going to be very special.