'Get Well Soon', eh? Either this Midlands four-piece know something we don't, or they're referring to something entirely different. Our relative good health causes no immediate concerns for our well being, but if we delve into the history that led to the release of this debut album by Rubicava then it might just be that the title refers to their own plight, which to the best of our knowledge is now in rude health. It wasn't always that way. Forming from the remains of progressive types Dead Letter Office, Rubicava were gelling, honing and establishing themselves when on the eve of a summer tour a "tragedy" (unspecified) struck and shot their plans down in flames, leading to a lengthy break.
Fast-forward a little and things gradually get back on track, with a 20-strong set of tunes, whittled down to the ten that consist their self-written, self-recorded and self-produced album (although they make a point of thanking friends who've supported their journey). For what is to all intents and purposes a homemade album, 'Get Well Soon' sounds exceptionally well crafted. They shun fashionable lo-fi rumblings and reach for the stars on the gargantuan chorus of 'Table For One'; it's like post-rock attached to the side of Apollo 11. They don't really down tools for a break either. Opener 'Wastemaker' is a shot of high calibre indie-rock, soon to become a double-barreled attack when followed by 'Crash'; we probably ought to sling the word "anthemic" into this review somewhere, so there it is.
Despite each and every tune being a work of near heroic proportions, something like 'Comatose And Happy' might get your landfill-indie detector twitching just a little, but the song is too big to be too much of a worry. 'Recruit Me' slips into the same category yet these songs are simply too likable to totally dismiss as generic indie fodder, and each one launches into something grander than you expect. There's the odd peek at a more inquisitive or experimental nature on 'Call Me When You're Lonely' and a hint of sentimentality on 'We Bleed Colour'. Both 'Watch The Clocks' and 'Auto Pilot' plot a course for the clouds and reach them without much of a struggle. It may have been a long and painful road to get this far, and the results aren't aimed at your fuzzy indiepop fan, but for this album Rubicava can give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back.
Rubicava's website
Buy the album
For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter
soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment