English quartet Useless Users are fiercely lo-fi on their debut album We Are All, combining elements of noise rock, '80s synth wave and psychedelic pop. And while the songs might sound like they were recorded on moth-eaten instruments they picked up in a charity shop, their knack for writing a catchy tune always shines through. There is kitchen sink drama (OAC - which stands for On Approved Credit) and a long overdue anthem for less fortunate with nifty call-and-response vocals (Born To Lose). They even threw in an ode Forton Recreation Ground in Gosport, where part of the band grew up (I Am Forton Wreck) and a song about fags as a means of comfort (They Put Tears In Cigarettes).
This band intends to play music that does not follow any manuals that will pave the way to some sort of mainstream appeal. The album's highlight is Orchid Blue, a slice of murky, twisted psychedelia with a touch of demented Britpop. The vocals sound like Syd Barrett shouting down a barrel after a particularly memorable night at the pub, with Jarvis Cocker egging him on. We Are All is an album that does not want to be loved as such, but it's next to impossible to sit still when they launch into a rollicking rocker like Jellybean or drift away in a good way in the ambient haze of WEAAUS.
We Are All is released (grey vinyl, digital) via Emotional Response Records (USA) and Skep Wax Records (UK). Release date: July 1st.
Tracks:- On A Corner
- I Am Forton Wreck
- Vessels
- Born To Lose
- They Put Tears In Cigarettes
- Orchid Blue
- Jellybean
- WEAAUS
- OAC
