WIRED DESIRE - Promo CD 2010
You can't buy this – which is a shame – since it's superb!!! The band, originally from Scotland, now residing in London, have received many accolades from the mainstream rock press in the past year or two, so it's good to hear that they are going from strength to strength, as these three tracks testify. The opener, “Badlands”, in many ways takes its cues from Classic Rockin' Guns 'n' Roses-meets-Poison, as this meaty sea of guitar riffs and ringing lead guitar underpins one of those sneering, nasally, huge-sounding vocals while the rhythm section lays it down in solid fashion. The song itself flows well as a slice of Classic Rock rolls forward with a hook and a chorus that sticks in your head and, while it's more “'80's” than '70's”, it's nevertheless a great example of this band's potency when it comes to real rock. “Fallin' Out Of Love” starts with a whisper of a vocal before the band suddenly crash in then they settle back as the guitar rings out, the rhythm section veers between restrained and dynamic as that Axl-esque vocal really launches into life on a seriously powerful song that rises and rises as the guitars surge and shine, the drums pound on the choruses and the bass underpins the eruption. It's a really hot rock ballad that's kept short, dynamic and explosive for maximum effect. The EP ends with “Hear Me”, initially brooding then flying upwards into the main body of the verses and even higher flying choruses, this time multi-tracked vocals adding depth to the harmonies as the song stretches out above the stop-start rhythms, the interweaving guitars and deep-seated riffing, Like the opener, it changes shape along the way, this time providing a searing heat, albeit brief, guitar break, before launching into another towering chorus. In truth, all three songs sound better and better with every play and you find yourself champing at the bit at the prospect of a whole album to come.