The Bohicas of Essex have released what seems like the extent of their simple, sharp and on the whole satisfying indie rock and roll in debut album The Making Of. They have made their presence known on the indie scene for the past year with singles like ‘Swarm’ and ‘Where You At’ and appear to be on a similar path to British rock bands of recent years such as Catfish and the Bottlemen and Circa Waves. On the surface The Bohicas’ music has a similar swagger and home grown confidence to even the likes of Arctic Monkeys or Kasabian and the band has the style to match, but dig deeper and it unfortunately lacks the lyrical quality or character that their otherwise sound rock music could offer.
Throughout the album frontman Dominic McGuinness’s vocals bounce along to the effective riffs, with a rhythmic groove, in a way that makes them stand out from the crowd. Early single ‘To Die For’ is one of the strongest tracks on the album and features this fast paced lyrical groove building up alongside a clanging mix of instruments which explodes into the pounding chorus, proclaiming confidently “We’re just to die for”. Like many of the songs on the album it also features some smooth soloing from guitarist Dominic John. Whilst this structure is appreciated on individual songs, it does become a little repetitive.
A lot of the songs offer an impression of a varied and talented band and also the solid direction of some experienced producers. ‘Only You’ has a slightly different feel with choral backing vocals and a sort of warm, chilled vibe that wouldn’t sound out of place in the soundtrack of say Grease or Sister Act. Titular track, ‘The Making Of’ is a slower, darker track, creating an atmosphere that perhaps feels like it should be at a different point in the album, but is nonetheless an enjoyable track.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Ho_LD9AKE&w=740&h=422]
After this comes single ‘Where You At’ and ‘XXX’ which signal a return to the groovy indie rock that ultimately defines this band. ‘Swarm’ is probably the highlight of the bands output and attacks the listener with a literal swarm of energy; the combination of pulsating guitars and drums topped with McGuinness’s fast paced lyrics. The result is exhilarating. ‘Red Raw’ has a grungier feel to it akin to Drenge and has a satisfyingly stormy second half. The remaining tracks on the album are equally enjoyable productions of rock and roll from decades gone by.
Ultimately, not many complaints can be made of their music; in fact it’s incredibly likeable. The unfortunate truth is that it all starts to sound like nothing we haven’t heard before. As well as this, apart from the few sing along choruses of the singles the lyrics are forgettable enough to not feel invested in this band. Still The Making Of can be appreciated for what it is; their “sparky” live shows and festival appearances should keep The Bohicas on that wave and hopefully round two will be bigger and better.
Words by Tim Goodfellow