Ex Cops
You might have noticed that I was in the desert over the last weekend where I was mightily impressed by Ex Cops' totally infectious mix of shoegazey infused pop. How impressed? On the strength of their set I went out and bought the new album "Daggers".
There are a couple of things that struck me as soon as I started listening to the album. Firstly, how immediate, fresh and radio-listening friendly the whole album sounds (certainly if main steam US radio played more of this and not the shit-on-a-stick of their target 'demographic'), with every song seeming to include at least one memorable hook. The second thing was that even after hearing Amalie Bruun sing live I still wasn't quite prepared for the dynamism that her voice manages to project on this record. Yes, I'm sure there's been some over dubbing and multi-tracking in the mix - but I wasn't joking about her possessing a dynamic range that could span the Øresund Bridge - she really can sing and her voice holds an audience transfixed (and it wasn't just me, Dee Dee Penny was watching from the side of the stage, totally engrossed). She really possesses the most bewitching of voices as I've since discovered...
"Daggers" opens with "Black soap" and a chugging post-punk, alt-rock riff that immediately burrows into the deepest crevice of the skull (you'll find yourself inadvertently tapping along to it) before Amalie's vocals kick-in. Every verse sounds like it's going to launch into yet another gorgeous refrain, each trying to out do the one before it. If you want an opening track to immediately grab the attention you could do a lot worse than start with a song like this.
There are a couple of things that struck me as soon as I started listening to the album. Firstly, how immediate, fresh and radio-listening friendly the whole album sounds (certainly if main steam US radio played more of this and not the shit-on-a-stick of their target 'demographic'), with every song seeming to include at least one memorable hook. The second thing was that even after hearing Amalie Bruun sing live I still wasn't quite prepared for the dynamism that her voice manages to project on this record. Yes, I'm sure there's been some over dubbing and multi-tracking in the mix - but I wasn't joking about her possessing a dynamic range that could span the Øresund Bridge - she really can sing and her voice holds an audience transfixed (and it wasn't just me, Dee Dee Penny was watching from the side of the stage, totally engrossed). She really possesses the most bewitching of voices as I've since discovered...
"Daggers" opens with "Black soap" and a chugging post-punk, alt-rock riff that immediately burrows into the deepest crevice of the skull (you'll find yourself inadvertently tapping along to it) before Amalie's vocals kick-in. Every verse sounds like it's going to launch into yet another gorgeous refrain, each trying to out do the one before it. If you want an opening track to immediately grab the attention you could do a lot worse than start with a song like this.
"White noise" is - as I've already intimated - anything but. The alt-rock riff is replaced by a Silicon-Teens inspired 80's synth-beat, yet another anthemic chorus is overlaid with a layer of refrains. Amalie's partner in crime, Brian Harding ably demonstrates that he not only can look moody on guitar but also introduces the vocal sparring that is a trademark of a number of songs - especially when Amalie reaches for those notes that us guys just weren't designed to reach.
Having seen the band live, there is an obvious spark between Brian and Amalie which has fortunately been captured on the recording. And it's this, plus the ability of the songs' hooks to linger long after the album has finished which makes it so enjoyable; "Teenagers" could be an 80's Euro-disco tune - repetitive drum-beats and loops - and then there's yet another surging chorus and glorious hook - and I'm 'dancing' (or a close approximation) under the glitter ball; meanwhile the chorus of "Pretty shitty" - arguably the most personal song on the album (if there is a back story here, as has been documented by "real" music critics, then someone has a warm sensation around their ears and deserves a bit of a shoeing) - has such an upbeat and bouncy chorus that it almost belies the sentiment of the song.
I read an interview with Amalie where she talks about her musician father and his love of ABBA - which is a roundabout way of saying that I may not be the first to have commented, but there is the most Abba-esque chorus that features in "Modern World" - (I'm thinking from the "Super Trouper" era) - which totally changes the mood of the song - again it's the juxtaposition of the vocals that really charges the song - I'm not for one minute comparing it to one of Benny and Bjorn's many opuses - but in many respects everything you'd want in a memorable pop song is here.
However, the pair also demonstrate that they're more than capable of slowing things down when they want. Aerial Pink (last heard on Cassie Ramone's "The Time Has Come") contributes to the vocals on the haunting "Tragically alright" and provides bass on "Burnt out love" - I love the slow groove of this track and the hint of echo on the vocals. The track is the first slower number on the album and provides a pleasant respite and change of pace.
Having seen the band live, there is an obvious spark between Brian and Amalie which has fortunately been captured on the recording. And it's this, plus the ability of the songs' hooks to linger long after the album has finished which makes it so enjoyable; "Teenagers" could be an 80's Euro-disco tune - repetitive drum-beats and loops - and then there's yet another surging chorus and glorious hook - and I'm 'dancing' (or a close approximation) under the glitter ball; meanwhile the chorus of "Pretty shitty" - arguably the most personal song on the album (if there is a back story here, as has been documented by "real" music critics, then someone has a warm sensation around their ears and deserves a bit of a shoeing) - has such an upbeat and bouncy chorus that it almost belies the sentiment of the song.
I read an interview with Amalie where she talks about her musician father and his love of ABBA - which is a roundabout way of saying that I may not be the first to have commented, but there is the most Abba-esque chorus that features in "Modern World" - (I'm thinking from the "Super Trouper" era) - which totally changes the mood of the song - again it's the juxtaposition of the vocals that really charges the song - I'm not for one minute comparing it to one of Benny and Bjorn's many opuses - but in many respects everything you'd want in a memorable pop song is here.
However, the pair also demonstrate that they're more than capable of slowing things down when they want. Aerial Pink (last heard on Cassie Ramone's "The Time Has Come") contributes to the vocals on the haunting "Tragically alright" and provides bass on "Burnt out love" - I love the slow groove of this track and the hint of echo on the vocals. The track is the first slower number on the album and provides a pleasant respite and change of pace.
In many respects "Daggers" would make a natural vinyl release. Side A featuring the more up-tempo numbers while side B, would mostly be the more reflective and measured. Not sure whether it's deliberate, but it's a great concept. "Wanna be" features the warming vocals of LP - and having seen her live (supporting Biffy Clyro(!) at the El Rey) I can vouch that here's another female vocalist that can more than hold a note and audience. However, of the slower numbers, it is "Rooms" that's my personal favourite - there's no rational reasoning, but everything about the song just resonates with me.
The album closes with "Weird with you" - Harding confesses to "...wanna look like you, I wanna talk like you" - it's a great throwback number, manic guitars, pounding drums, shrieking vocals - Ex Cops confirming that they refuse to be typecast...
While listening to the album and cobbling together these incoherent ramblings, I took a look at some of the album's reviews in the proper musical blogs - it seems that the over riding criticism is that "Daggers" doesn't sound like the band's debut, "True Hallucinations" and is somehow devalued because it's both poppy and refuses to adhere to one particular style. And while it's true that "True Hallucinations" appears to have provided the shoegaze and indie-rock influences that I heard in their live set, it's still a very poppy album at heart, full of great vocalisations, catchy hooks and in "Spring break" the most gorgeous homage to sixties West Coast pop this side of "Pet Sounds."
Ultimately "Daggers" may be an unashamed pop album, but when it sounds this good and this is intelligent, there's no crime in that.
On the basis of their set supporting Dum Dum Girls I went and bought this album... After hearing the album I now want to see Ex Cops again and this time headlining...
This album comes highly recommended.
Ex Cops Website
Ex Cops Downtown records
"Daggers" iTunes
The album closes with "Weird with you" - Harding confesses to "...wanna look like you, I wanna talk like you" - it's a great throwback number, manic guitars, pounding drums, shrieking vocals - Ex Cops confirming that they refuse to be typecast...
While listening to the album and cobbling together these incoherent ramblings, I took a look at some of the album's reviews in the proper musical blogs - it seems that the over riding criticism is that "Daggers" doesn't sound like the band's debut, "True Hallucinations" and is somehow devalued because it's both poppy and refuses to adhere to one particular style. And while it's true that "True Hallucinations" appears to have provided the shoegaze and indie-rock influences that I heard in their live set, it's still a very poppy album at heart, full of great vocalisations, catchy hooks and in "Spring break" the most gorgeous homage to sixties West Coast pop this side of "Pet Sounds."
Ultimately "Daggers" may be an unashamed pop album, but when it sounds this good and this is intelligent, there's no crime in that.
On the basis of their set supporting Dum Dum Girls I went and bought this album... After hearing the album I now want to see Ex Cops again and this time headlining...
This album comes highly recommended.
Ex Cops Website
Ex Cops Downtown records
"Daggers" iTunes
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