STONER'S name could possibly work against them in a world where crucial first impressions count. To this reviewer, it suggests a band in thrall to the slacker/ Generation X grunge ethos, all plaid shirts and Sub Pop allegiances.
Yet, with typical pop irony, the reality is some way removed, for Stoner are an Anglo-Irish trio comprised of brothers Desmond Lambert (guitar/ vocals), Gavin Lambert (bass) and drummer Rob Flanagan. Their edgy and convincing guitar pop sound bears little or no traces of Seattle, and they come with former Talking Heads collaborator Nona Hendryx sharing production duties. Not bad for a start.
And, once you've realigned your preconceptions, Stoner's musis ain't bad, neither. "Life And Times" itself kicks us off and it's soulful, atmospheric and not obviously standing in line with anything stylistically in vogue right now. It's got a surprisingly effective yearning, nostalgic quality for such a youthful trio ("Remember when 'Top Of The Pops' was on, we'd listen to every song/ And next day in the playground we'd ding along" sniffs Desmond at one point) and it's difficult to to both relate to it and admit it sounds curiously like the Tom Robinson Band without the overtly political content.
Not that the remainder of the EP follows the same sonic blueprint. "Settle Down" is taut and much more riff-drivem, with nice, McCartney-ish counterpoint basslines from Gavin and a similarly world-weary theme of searching for shelter dominating the proceedings. The desperation in Desmond's voice as he sings "What have I got? Nothing at all, just memories/ Please don't take that from me" is palpable and the fact the band turn the volume up here is effective too.
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Closing tune "Shine Some Light" finds Stoner exploring a different tangent once again. This time, they set up a slowburningly soulful, Gospel-tinged affair that the likes of Kubb or the late Jeff Buckley could have tackled with ease. While it's not realistic to elevate Stoner to this status (as yet anyway), it's also true to point out that they hold their own comfortably enough once again here.
The "Life And Times" EP, then, is honest, emotional and convincingly-executed three-track affair and much better than Stoner's name would have suggested. But then, that old adage about judging books by their cover was always one of the sounder rules of thumb, wasn't it?
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