Dude Safari - YUSSUS 
Release Date: Out Now
I've been joyfully following Surrey outfit Dude Safari since their first release so I love the fact that their debut has finally rolled around. 'YUSSUS' is the sound of a band in their element and that element is 45 minutes of grunge with melodic hooks and well observed lyrics. So, if that sounds like your kind of thing, let's dive in shall we?
Things get underway with expectation managing track 'Lead Balloon' which matches jackhammer drums and a huge slab of guitars with dead-eyed vocals to create a slacker anthem. 'Bug Hunter' stutters and lurches in to life with searing and urging guitar riffs before rocking your knee high socks off while 'Maybe It's a UFO' straps on a pair of Stars'n'Stripes Speedos before channeling the spirit of Weezer in to a grunge-pop stomper. It's a strong ol' start.
'Big Worse' takes me right back to the indie-rock-alt clubs of the 90s and circle pits full of smiling faces before 'I'm No Good (At Any Sports)' is surely the anti-jock anthem that Fountains of Wayne forgot to write at the peak of their powers. Not to be confused with satanic American dog Mr Pickles, 'Mr Prickles' has an arms-in-the-air energy so make sure your lighter is full of fluid but put it away before the headbanging vibe of 'Doom and Bloom' kicks in or the smell of burnt mullets will fill the air and nobody wants or needs that.
The most Nirvana-esque of these tracks is 'Born To Lose' which has a real 'In Utero' quality to the production as the guitars seem to swirl around your head and the vocals are drawn out through gritted and bored teeth. The tightly strung riff on 'Treading Water' is more focused than other tracks on the album with a Dinosaur Pile-Up vibe reading to get the most pit bouncing along. The riff-fest continues on 'Godzilla' which makes you want to take to the open road in a big-rig with pair of aviators and a mission to get to your destination before the sun goes down.
There's a bit of a lull on 'I'll Entertain Ya' but it only lasts for around 40 seconds before the drums kick in and elevate this one up to anthemic status. Closing track 'Until I Disappear' leaves you wanting more as the atmospheric build erupts in to a crescendo of noise that washes over you. This is not a perfect album but grunge should never be about perfection and this is one hell of a grunge album. The exciting thing for Dude Safari is that this sound and collection of riff heavy songs will sell well in almost any country so if anyone wants to back them for a tour I think you'll find a lot of very happy fans out there.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/dudesafari
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