The Brute Chorus – The Brute Chorus

Foals-y track Hercules is the perfect opener for the album. Maintaining a staccato rhythm of guitars, surprisingly reminiscent of The Knacks‘ My Sharona, the simplicity of this track is its beauty. It’s easy to listen to and great for gently easing the listener into The Brute Chorus’s unique style. The band seem to always sound like they’re on the verge of letting all hell break loose, using their exclusive position on stage to just make a lot of noise for no reason. Two minutes into Hercules and this is just what happens. Just for a few seconds the exterior cracks and their inner devil is revealed – and it’s no bad thing.

By far the most energetic track is The Cuckoo And The Stolen Heart. Using a bluegrass banjo riff, the track could easily descend into a repeat of the Duelling Banjos scene of Deliverance. Borrowing the vocal talents of female singer Tigs adds a new dimension where the male and female counterparts discuss infidelity, revenge and murder.

Ultimately, this is a powerful first album that perfectly demonstrates the potential of The Brute Chorus. It’s easy to understand how the band have drawn comparisons with The Bad Seeds, The White Stripes and even Jonny Cash, but they’ve pulled off that wonderful trick of making it sound like something new.