York based “Experimental” rock outfit, AKP, have released their new album “The Blast Apex”, a confusing and weird mush of styles and genres, ranging from Cock Rock, Post-Punk, to eighties-Yuppy-Pop. Puzzled? Yep? OK, try this, it sounds like Paul Draper (Mansun) on vocals (but not as good), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) on guitar (I think they’re going for the ‘Muse’ sound, but the end result is a bit more on the ‘Darkness’ side), and weirdly, some unintentional musical references to Spandeau Ballet. The whole effect sounds a little bit like a modern-day Spinal Tap.
I mention Spinal Tap for a number of reasons, not least because every so often elements of the music swerve dramatically in that direction, but also because AKP do come across as slightly pretentious.
Their biography reads, “Imagine Muse are jamming with The Band…” [How? When? Did I miss something? There is no musical comparison with The Band here at all] “…On a space rocket travelling at 100 million-miles per hour straight towards your heart.” Blimey. I’m just waiting for their next hit single “Saucy Jack II’ to be released.
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Secondly, is the scary looking algebraic formula on the front of their album. Apart from bringing back some deep-rooted psychological trauma involving me being dreadful at mathematics at school, it screams “LOOK AT US, WE”RE REALLY CLEVER AS WELL AS DEAD TALENTED, HONEST GUV!!!” That may well be, nice one. Well done. Big pat on the back to you lot... (I'm just jealous really).
Ah well, maybe I’m being a little harsh. They’re harmless, and they seem to be enjoying themselves. I reckon they’d probably do quite well in Japan.
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