A Place to Bury Strangers
(Mute)
Like the Horrors, A Place to Bury Strangers prove that a brazen lack of originality needn't get in the way of a great record-but Exploding Head isn't as shameless as Primary Colours, where chunks of songs can be traced to specific sources. While there are obvious moments of homage here, to Suicide, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Ride and the Cure, among others, APTBS take a more lateral approach to their influences, capturing the essential feel of the bands that inspire them, rather than quoting their music verbatim.
In common with the Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine especially, APTBS embrace an unlikely balance of opposites, their music marrying brutal assaultiveness with its other: dense, effects-laden noise textures simultaneously accommodate a melodic pop sensibility. Indeed, much is made of the group's fearsome decibel levels and their abrasive, raw power, but that's the least interesting thing about them; more compelling is the alchemy they perform with those base materials to end up with great tunes.
Standout Tracks: "In Your Heart," "Ego Death" WILSON NEATE
