The Woe Betides describe themselves as "an experiment in harmony, handclaps and distortion" but I think that glib description does them a disservice. This tight, 10 track album was a labour of love for the London trio who beg, borrowed and (possibly) stolen whatever they could get their hands in on order to craft (yes I said 'craft') this remarkable album of infectious, electronically tinged power pop.
It's a vibrant record which starts in 5th gear and doesn't let up for a second with the twisted electronic beats, close-mic'ed harmonies and grinding bass of the opening 'On The Wheel' a perfectly skewed and infectious first foot forward that establishes the records momentum. There are moments ('This Hand. This Heart' being a perfect example) which bring to mind the perfect grunge-pop of early Weezer fed through a filter of electronics and british pessimism. On 'Sylvia', nasally frontman even manages some of River's Cuomo's biting pathos ("Sylvia, your a terrible person but I'll never love anyone else") which sits atop a bed of guitars and melodies that brings to mind the early Beatles without any of the now trite sentimentality.
Elsewhere 'The Ape, The Owl and the Satellite' contains some of the prettiest harmonies of the year and 'Natwest Tower' is an insistent rocker that wouldn't sound alien on the radio 1 A-List only without any of the indifferent cock-sucking that implies. The closing 'Persian Punch' meanwhile synthesises Yeasayer's melancholic dance-rock only with a sparser, more immediate arrangement. It all boils down to the fact that the bombastic young trio really know their way around a hook but are too ambitious to just let the hooks carry the songs and this is true of almost every 1 of the 10 brisk, effervescent pop nuggets on display here.
For anyone who thought the dreadful 'Hoosiers' spelt the end for intelligent pop-rock music, 'Never Sleep' restores all faith in the simple equation of great melodies, relatable lyrics and inventive arrangements equalling great pop music. 2011's Biffy Clyro perhaps?
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