Strange Bones are one of those bands that are easy to throw the ‘raw’ adjectives at. And not without reason; the sound that emanates from this very much touted outift is tousled, winding and, not to mention, noisy.
But peer behind that, and ‘S.O.I.A’ (Sick Of it All) has an almost bluesy hint of Americana to it, and boasts hooks that, unlike so many bands on the rougher end of the spectrum, actually serves to compliment the vocals, rather than struggle against them. There’s also quote promising signs in what is a rather ambiguous opening – it wouldn’t seem much out of place on a Black Keys record – and the way in which it almost unwittingly runs into a boisterous wall of sound.
In terms of imagery, this trio (made up of two brothers and a close friend) appear to embrace all things manic and unstable in an aware but not necessarily contrived fashion, and it’s perhaps this adoption of a persona that could liberate them from immediate comparisons to Royal Blood.
The headline? Don’t put this sharp stick of Blackpool rock into any boxes yet.
Words by Benedict Tetzlaff – Deas