Aside from the fact that Solanoid are from Darlington, I know bugger all about this three-piece. With a record cover that has a diary date on fire and an inside that is just plain black, there's certainly something mysterious about the chaps. But while you may not have heard of them, this EP, out on Disquiet Records, has an impressive pedigree having been recorded by Jack Endino in Seattle. So a quick shufty at the website shows that most of the UK's magazines have been salivating over the band already and I'm a little late to the party - but that wouldn't be the first time I've been a latecomer.
'January 14' is an interesting record that shows little glimpses of promise yet remains inherently dull and safe at the same time. The sparks of greatness are nullified by the stupid bits (the boings on the title track at the beginning are really annoying for example) and this is why I probably haven't heard of them already. The main problem is that Solanoid sound just like Ash did back in 1998 when 'Nu Clear Sounds' came out. It's dirty, scuzzy and soaked in pop-coolness without gleaming too much from all that polish. But Solanoid just don't stand out from the pack enough to really grab hold of your ears.
The title-track is pretty much forgettable fare until the chorus kicks in, but that damn boing (when you hear it you will know what I mean) ruins it for me. The best track is easily 'Italic Pen B', a song that easily could fit into the Ash b-side catalogue. The vocals are very Tim Wheeler and the guitars throb of that dirty sound that the band used during their second full length album. It pushes, swirls and presses but doesn't leave the kind of mark that their influences have done. Ending with the instrumental 'Lee Majors', Solanoid have created a record that hints at what the band can do but in all truth it's forgettable fare.
Solanoid are on to something but they're still quite a way from grasping it. Taking too much from that spikey indie-pop genre that was big in the late 90s, the band have a long way to go before they can break out of the shadow of some of their influences. There are bits that stand out, but by the same token the drab bits are as common blonde girls in Essex.
www.solanoid.com
Paul
