The Scratch are tricky little buggers. They don’t comfortably fit into any pigeonhole and aren’t about to be tied down by genre labels. In spirit however they are a punk band, a one finger salute of a band to all those who prize image over substance. In their own words ‘a 21st century rock n roll experiment’.
This 10” record, their second release after last year 7” ‘I relax to Spiral Scratch / Trigger Finger’, is a snapshot of the contrary nature of the band. ‘Brainstorm’ is a dark, paranoid journey through modern life and in particular our difficult relationship with technology. The claustrophobic, narcotic, atmosphere isn’t helped by a marvellous rumbling bassline that brings to mind Massive Attacks darker moments. Lead singer Andys breathless vocals add to the tension, ‘we’ll soon be turned on / we’ll never die / pushed down the sofa / by a big brother’. As the tension mounts the electronic side of the band comes to the fore (I warned you of their contrary nature) before diving in head first to a wall of buzzsaw guitar. Excellent.
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The pick of the two tracks however is ‘X Ray Eyes’. A great slab of dubby beats, deranged steel guitar and shouty punk vocals, ‘X Ray Eyes’ is the flipside of the Scratch. Once again the electronic effects are used to compliment rather than drown the band who at times sound not dissimilar to Primal Scream at their most adventurous. This tune is begging to be heard over a massive sound system.
An excellent introduction then to a band not afraid to push some boundaries and defy a few expectations. For more information check out www.thescratch.co.uk
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