The Wealden sure know how to make an entrance. The duo’s debut EP kicks off with lead single ‘Lifeline’, a sparse, oddball snake-hipped slice of artrock that somehow brings together Talking Heads, Everything Everything and Queens of the Stone Age, and more astoundingly, does so successfully. Restrained and hinting at an underlying psychopathy, you don’t need the weirdy video for it to make an impression.
‘Boyband’ is a nifty pop tune that sounds like The Associates covering Franz Ferdinand (granted, this would require some feat of time travel, but you get the idea): there’s a theatrical aspect to Tim Dickinson’s vocals, and when paired with a nagging funk bassline, the results are compelling. The grandiose stylings of Billy MacKenzie are in evidence again on the flamboyant yet intricately arranged ‘My Sign’, which – perhaps not surprisingly – doffs a cap to Bowie, too.
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In contrast, the minimal, soulful, almost gospel-tinged ‘Blue and Gold’ sounds like another band altogether and I suspect these guys have got a fair few more surprises up their sleeves.
The Wealden Online
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