No Lycra, No Leotards, No Models, No Men,
CovergirlIn their previous incarnation as Opium, Covergirl's first two CDs received lukewarm responses from us here at Punktastic, mainly because they felt like a compendium of every emo-rock band out there that wanted to show that yes, they can rock with the best of them but wait! They also have a heart! Listen to their emotive riffs! And the way Mr Vocalist draws out his vowels! Oh gosh, if only the last decade of musical evolution hadn't happened, then this might be worth a second look!
And again Covergirl have fallen into the same trap as they did in the past. Amongst the six tracks on this EP, there's maybe one ('Ready On Three') that hints that they could just be coming up with something interesting. The way 'Ready...' flows suggests that given a little less concentration on finding “representation and a record deal” and a bit more on finding out what really WORKS in the practice room, they might just have come up with an EP that won't be forgotten in a matter of...what was I talking about? Maybe I'm being unduly harsh but there has got to come a point when the same old riffs and structures stop being appealing to new bands. What's most galling is that Covergirl are obviously proficient musically, and the production job on the EP is nothing short of excellent, but they sound like everyone else at the moment. Even though there is a clear progression from the days of Opium, it feels like they've progressed at exactly the same rate as, well, everyone else. Just when it seems like they're going to rip out a punishing riff that has the potential to elevate Covergirl from also-rans to serious contenders, they piss it away in a flurry of clichés and all-too-obvious images. Case in point: the syncopated brutality of 'If You Dance With The Devil' is squandered by letting it dissolve into the same emo verse that every band from Caerphilly to Crouch End has ripped off Funeral For A Friend.
So 'No Lycra...' gets an average mark because it's so crushingly middling. The potential that Covergirl continue to show remains unfortunately untapped, because somewhere in there is a band that could be worth selling the farm for. All they need to do is consolidate their influences in such a way as to make their music feel natural, and not cobbled-together like doner meat. Last chance, chaps. And if the next EP contains any hand claps whatsoever then you're getting an instant zero.
Ben
www.covergirlrock.com
rich@covergirlrock.com
