Here at Cultured Vultures, we love spreading the message about all the latest music. Well, not today, folks. Today, I’ll be reviewing an album from 2010. Sue me. You just wont hush me up about this band. If strong Mancunian accents and cynical world views set against an upbeat synth track sounds appealing to you, then you too might love them just as much as I do.
A virtually unheard of band from the depths of Manchester’s alternative music scene, they could have blasted Northern indie groups such as the Artic Monkeys straight out of the water had they made it far enough before splitting in 2012, after supporting their good friends Hurts on tour and also The Human League.
Having gone through various name changes, line-ups and side project, such as Bureau , Daggers and Kiss In Cities, tracking down the various musical projects from this extremely talented group of people isn’t always simple, but you’ll find some tracks via YouTube. Today, I am here to convince you that it’s worth the effort.
International
This is by far my favourite track on the album and one of my favourite songs in general. A truly versatile track with raw emotion in every lyric, we are presented with a confessional monologue that could easily have come off as depressing. In my opinion, any band that can write super serious lyrics and produce them into something that I’d happily listen to whilst getting psyched up for a night out is one that deserves respect. Entrancing background vocals from Laura Marsden don’t add to the track – they complete the track. It’s feel good, it’s fun, it’s deadly serious and it’s worth a listen.
Miracles
Take me out of the light,
Like miracles out of the night. Alright.
Just throw your arms around me here
And watch me as I disappear.
If there’s any track that fully showcases Laura Marsden’s magical vocals, it’s this track. It’s the catchiest track on the album and another personal favourite. Although ‘a personal favourite’ could be said for the majority of tracks on this album.
The Love
Pretty self-explanatory. A love song. It’s another with intense lyrics, but it’s so cool and catchy that I’d not be embarrassed to be caught listening to it.
The winds off the Atlantic blow birds out of the sky,
I miss you like a language, I try…
With tracks like these, it’s not surprising that main writer Joe Cross went on to co-produce hit singles such as Better Than Love and Wonderful Life by Hurts.
Reptile
To say this song has a retro feel to it would be a huge understatement. It makes me wonder if the reason this band didn’t make it big was because they came a couple of decades too late. I could easily stick this on an 80s electro mix tape and nobody would bat an eyelid.
The Living
This track tackles a subject everyone can relate to – gossip. Particularly over social media. Like many (We Are) Performance tracks, it has a very Gary Numan-esque feel to it, whilst still maintaining the charm of a Manchester accent, delivering strong vocals from frontman Joe Stretch that command your attention. Modern art fans will love the simplistic style of the video, which is highly monochromatic and intense. The addition of the upbeat synth and the ‘HEY, HEYs’ turn this seemingly cynical song into something that can also be enjoyed as an inspirational track – the drama is going to happen but you can move on! After all, we are only the living…
Whilst I admit that not every single track on the album struck a chord with me, the ones that did are unforgettable.
Red Brick Heart can be bought via iTunes or on Amazon, I also highly recommend turning to Spotify to hear more – we cannot allow this band to disappear!
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