Poo Sticks!
 

The Sticks debut album was recorded in a community centre on reel-to-reel tape, when I read this I immediately wanted to love this band, everything about them screamed counter-cultural genius (at least on paper). However listening to their self titled debut album I honestly didn't know whether or not to take them seriously at first. Do these guys really believe in what their doing or is this some kind of ironic joke? Either way it's obviously something I don't understand because I've just spent the longest 80 minutes of my life in the company of a record which I wouldn't put back in my stereo if someone paid me.

Ok that's a little harsh, in truth I can hear what the band are at least trying to do; taking the clatter of rudimentary early 60's surf music and marrying it to the no-nonsense DIY ethos of late 70's post-punk. The production (or lack thereof) is by far and away the best thing about the album with the analogue reverb and scratchy, dissonant hum drawing the listener into an incredibly unique atmosphere which recalls the first Velvet Underground album at it's most abrasive.

Where my qualms lie are with the songs (or lack thereof) which generally come across as vague (mostly instrumental) ditties built around nasty, trebly guitar, a barely audible bass and drums which don't really seem to know (or want to know) what's going on around them. In fact the drums for my money are what make the band listen-able, the constantly changing rhythms are actually (by accident or design I'm not sure) the most interesting aspect of the bands sound and bring to mind the Pixies Dave Lovering at his loosest.

It would be pointless to pick out individual tracks as they all seem to fold into each other for the most part with the notable exceptions of 'Messing Around' (which actually manages to be almost memorable in a proto-B52's kind of way) and 'Giant Strides' which closes proceedings on a comparatively epic (4 minute) note with a foreboding, ambient mood-piece which could have sat comfortably on Liars wonderful 'Drum's Not Dead' album. The Sticks are actually a significantly more interesting band when they are not being The Sticks.

I can appreciate The Sticks, I can appreciate how they have shunned conventional modernity for a sound which is resolutely their own (though they are far from the first to tread this path as Thee Oh Sees do pretty much exactly the same thing only with much better songs) but at heart they are a gimmick band and without the songs to back them up I can't see them making it to album number 2. Prove me wrong lads, prove me wrong!
BAND'S MYSPACE

Benjamin Hiorns