There are so many bands around right now that peddle the same stuff that is flooding the UK music scene, playing follow the leader with whoever's fashionable this month. It is because of this that I approach a great deal of the demos that I'm sent with a certain degree of trepidation, simply because I cannot be arsed to wade through yet another few tracks of post hardcore/emo/whatever by numbers. Thank fuck for King Tobasco. The thing about this 3 track EP is that it is under no pretences, it has no airs and graces whatsoever. It's a simple skacore sound that goes from A to B with the minimum of fuss and the maximum effort. I'm not saying it's the greatest release of the year but it's a breath of fresh air in a UK scene dominated by a zeitgeist and conscious fashion sense.
'Tomorrow' comes off like Leek and The Bouncing Uptones and Lightyear in a big mixing pot. The ever-present horn section provides a solid backing for the vocal line, complimenting while not overshadowing. There are a lot of trademark jolting stops and starts throughout, and while some may say that King Tobasco are just filling their music with cliché I'd say that they're using what they know to good effect. Like I say, it's not revolutionary but it is damn good fun. The crunch of the guitar and bass is always in unison and it's worth nothing just how tight this band seem.
The Lightyear/Kenisia sound is continued with 'A Job Well Done'. This song has a superb Catch 22-esque off-beat bridge section that is simply perfect. Probably ripped right off Keasby Nights it still fits flush with the rest of the track, moving from various time signatures and styles to create a good mix of sounds. From all out punk rock in the choruses to more laid back ska this entire song is a delight. 'Disaster' finishes off the EP, and the title is a bit of a misnomer because it's a chirpy ska punk song with more emphasis on chugging guitars than on the horn section. This sounds like the guitarist's song because the horns weave round the heavy chords instead of the guitar acting as a backing. This approach works as well as the all-out ska, and shows a touch of diversity in the talents of King Tobasco.
Like I said, this EP is hardly going to revolutionise the way we listen to music. But it's not meant to, and it has an honesty which shines though in the performances and the lyrics. Very promising.
Ben
