Eaton Cage - The Curve
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| Eaton Cage - The Curve |
2014 has been the year of the duo
as confirmed by the huge success of Royal Blood and the ongoing popularity of
The Black Keys. So there's no blame attached for the glut of duos that have
followed in the wake of these acts but it is getting harder to tell them apart.
Nevertheless, Derbyshire lads Eaton Cage deserve their turn and this, their
debut album, seems like a good place to start. Starting with 'So Young And Out
Of Love' you can immediately hear that Black Keys sound in the thick, groove
based guitar riffs but there is something different in the drumming which is
more Black Sabbath. 'Firestone Hill' has some seriously heavy guitars but the
vocals seem to fit more with the 80s indie of Joy Division or the Fall. 'By
Every Hour' is a more laboured, plodding affair while 'You Should Be Here' has
a sinister tinge to it and 'Lens That Sold Them' is a Led Zeppelin meets Johnny
Cash ballad which could do with some better vocals effects but works otherwise.
Things get back to the dirty
grooves on 'No Fences In Little Eaton' which has a great riff and vibe but the
vocals just don't quite match up as they come out a bit flat, tuneless and
lacking in power. 'No Heart' has a great White Stripes-esque quirkiness to it
while 'Drunken Dutch-Door' is relentless in its pursuit of the spirit of
rock'n'roll. There is a lighter feel to 'Sweet Valley' but the vocal melodies
don't really cut it before the album closes with 'Three Hundred Miles Away'
which could be the entrance music for a particularly evil wrestler or the theme
tune for a documentary about a brothel in Soho. I like these guys and they've
got some great ideas but I think they're best bet would come in breaking the
duo mould and employing a bassist with a dirty rock'n'roll voice to give them
that extra kick. There must be swathes of bassists just wondering the streets
at the moment so I'm sure one of them can sing.
More information: http://www.eatoncage.com/