This takes me back twelve years or so to the days when I'd rarelyentertain a platter on the turntable that didn't involve tunes with alot of distorted guitar and shouting. That can still be a very goodthing, and if I was some kid weened on the post-rock continuum,whatever the hell that may be, I'd probably have my socks rocked byGiddy Motors. However, I've got so many old AmRep and Touch and Goalbums and suchlike that do this kind of thing with a tad more venomthat I can't help but have a few reservations. If I saw the band play agig I'd almost definitely be more enthusiastic than I am sat at homewith CD spinning, but that's always been the nature of the rockbeast.There's always room for one more rock band who can actually rockwithout resorting to corny old gestures. There seems to be a risingwave of post-grunge riffers storming venues around the UK. Alongsidesuch scene stalwarts as Part Chimp and Macrocosmica and relativenewcomers such as Terashima, Giddy Motors may well be the mostinventive of this boisterous bunch. My main criticism is that thesinger sounds a bit forced and silly at times, particularly on "Sassy"where his ranting cockney wideboy head-inside-out delivery begins toirk, but this is compensated for by a tight rhythm section who justkeep moving and plying all bad manner of unpredictable feints andparries. Any band who gets compared to the Birthday Party has a lot tolive up to though, and if they can muster even half the intensity it'llbe well worth hearing from a stage. "Dog Hands" is more like the JesusLizard replacing David Yow with that weird crooner from US Maple. GiddyMotors show they're capable of subtlety and light and shade subtlety on"Venus Medallist," the albums' deceptively lulling penultimate trackthat pulls off a lovely moodshift with cello, space synth whoosh andprettily plucked acoustic guitar. Steve Albini has recorded this debutalbum from the south London-based trio so you can be assured that ithits hard and precise. Unlike the drastically overrated and slightlyirritating Mclusky, Giddy Motors throw up a few quirks, sparks andspasms that hint that the best is yet to come if they can just keeppushing. When I think about the light years Boredoms have travelledfrom the Anal By AnalEP, I hope that a band like Giddy Motors can go a similar distance asit could be an exciting voyage to experience. The next step in theirjagged journey comes courtesy of the album's opening assault "Magmanic"lifted as a single. This is accompanied by a twisted bad German coversong obscurity from the Swiss group Grauzone, who I'd never heard ofbefore, and a more intense take on the album's "Bottle Opener" retitled"Tight Sauce," which might be their finest few minutes. The singlegives a pretty good idea of what the band are all about, and therefrain "It started changing," could almost be a self referentialmanifesto of sorts, but the album is more filling. They should behitting venues around the UK right about now. Read More
