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| White Bone Rattle - Creature Of Curiosity |
White Bone Rattle – Creature of
Curiosity
Release Date: 26th
November
Siblings in bands are not always
a good idea are they? There is a spark that can sometimes be good for the creative
process but, more often than not, there is a destructive nature that comes with
members of the same family making music together (man, that’s sounds so wrong).
White Bone Rattle are a Maidstone quartet made up of two pairs of brothers so
this album should, by rights, be either a creative masterpiece or the sound of
music imploding. Album opener, ‘Eyes of the Island’ is a promising start with a
gyrating bass line driving the tune along under a hypnotic riff but it’s not
exactly groundbreaking stuff. ‘Milk’ is somewhere between Deep Purple and the
less novelty moments of Slade and shows off singer David Hayfield’s drawling,
rasping vocal. However, it’s on the single ‘Miss Mist’ that this album really
kicks in to life as the relentless fuzz guitars and pulsing bass create an
addictive groove reminiscent of the Black Keys and suddenly that creative spark
is clear for all to see.
Album title track, ‘Creature of
Curiosity’, is pure Sabbath with droning vocals over the top of guitars and
bass playing the same circular hook and ‘The River Will Rise’ is a psychedelic
groove that has a beautifully timeless quality and deserves to be used on the
soundtrack of a 70s flashback movie. This isn't groundbreaking music
stylistically but it is incredibly well put together and there is an authenticity
and drive on every song that is infectious. This is a band that needs to make
road movies, ride motorbikes, take mind expanding substances and then put the
whole thing down on twelve inches of vinyl in nothing but mono. ‘Horse’ is the
perfect example of why this band is necessary right now with bass lines that
Noel Redding would be proud of, drums that keep everything moving inevitably
forward and guitars so fuzzy that if you squint you’d swear they were Bigfoot. On
‘When I Return’, White Bone Rattle have created the perfect tune to soundtrack shuffling
around a mansion the day after a rock’n’roll party in a hazy daze of happiness
and confusion. But what’s this? The party is in full swing again on the
downright dirty scuzz blues-rock of ‘Sleep Talking Fool’ which sees the
Hayfield brothers harmonising to beautifully sinister effect. As the album
lurches to a close, Jamie Chrisp pulls out his best Hendrix chops on ‘Taken By
The Movement’ and brother Liam breaks out his shuffles across the drum kit with
such a range of styles that Keith Moon may or may not be a very proud
illegitimate father.
For a debut offering, ‘Creature
of Curiosity’ is insanely well thought out, expertly performed and has the
atmosphere befitting of an album recorded in an abandoned Victorian psychiatric
hospital in London. If I had the money to spare I wouldn't have any hesitation
in buying a beat up old Winnebago and some valve amps and driving it across
America with White Bone Rattle in the back to play in every Whisky Bar and
Steak Grill on the way. And I would take the long route.
More information:
https://www.facebook.com/whitebonerattle