I have pretty scant details regarding THE SHALLOW CALL themeslves - they're from the North-West of England and this double A-side demo single was produced by Steve Powell of La's/ Shack/ Coral fame - but they certainly have potential on the basis of these two dramatic tracks here.
"Mexico Blues" is the stronger of the two. Framed by haunting guitars, rolling drums and blasts of delicious Mariachi trumpet straight outta Love's "Alone Again Or", it's a damn fine set piece in its' own right. I'm not entirely sure where the lyric leads, but its' full of fabulous invocations like "Girl, I'd move mountains for you" and "I've got blood on my shoes,"and certainly answers to descriptions like 'feverish', 'murderous' and 'lustful': all of which are good calls artistically. Shivers down the spine stuff and no mistake.
"Little Light," while also powerful and memorable, finds us on slightly more familiar, post-Britpop sonic terrain, with full-blooded riffing somewhere between hard-edged Coral and early Oasis shoring up a vocal landing someplace between full-on Lee Mavers and early, spittle-flecked Liam Gallagher. The drifting harmonica's a good touch as is the way the feedback's sustained throughout the second half of the song and the way the bassline indulges in some natty, counterpoint harmonics.
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So, yeah, The Shallow Call are very much from a lineage that must include Oasis, The La's and The Coral, but they're no means dwarfed in such exalted company here. Let's see if there are further dark secrets in their rattle bag as they move forward.
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