Oh my. If I’m honest, one of the best things about my job is receiving CDs like The Southern Cradle‘s On Strike At The Rumour Mill. Nick Jackson’s sound is a sort of Dugong meets The Get Up Kids style of grainy passion and it’s bloody great. The styles of those bands and their ilk are evident in a rich texture of guitar plucking interweaved with emotion-laden vocals which tug at you in the way that only bands like this can.
It would be a crime to not go into a little detail on each of the four songs here, because right from the beginning of track 1 you know you’re in for a treat: catchy guitar with as little distortion as possible to create the desired effect of having you, the listener, humming along with your “doos” and your “dahs” before the track is even 2 minutes old. “They’re on strike at the rumour mill” – track 2’s vocals lead in with the demo’s title and the wobbly vocals give it more punch than you’d think it could deliver, complemented perfectly by another guitar line which you will struggle to forcibly remove from your brain.
On ‘My Petty Arson’ they’ve even managed to work in your requisite Latterman-esque finger-pointing moment as all becomes quiet except for the passion reeking from Jackson’s voice with noticeable help from cohorts Michael Salmon and Michael Plumb (bass and second guitar, respectively). Track 4 opens with a guitar line which instantly reminded me of ‘Emotional Junkmail’ by Miss Black America and, as you’d expect, it’s just as good. Slowing things down a notch when compared to the first three tracks, it’s a complete journey from instrumental emotion to a vocal lament and back again via a quick whistle-stop through a grindingly anthemic chorus; absolutely brilliant.
If you’re this good after your second demo, it would be a crime to not exploit that talent. I eagerly anticipate The Southern Cradle producing an EP or full-length some time this year as I really think they have a chance. Just wait until Bombed Out and co. cop a load of this…
www.myspace.com/southerncradle
Spud