Black Ramps ‘Shark
Attack’ (str82tape records)
(Feb '05)
Like balloons at a party, various names might be thrown around when first watching this lo-fi trio. Early Ash? Urusei Yatsura? Any other bunch of Brits trying to be American? Listening to Pixies, Weezer, Pavement?
Actually, the singer claims to prefer classic soul music. Whatever, they’re more reminiscent of that mid-'90s strain of slacker indie-rock than they are of anything currently fashionable: Black Ramps have put their sound before their haircuts. Their songs don’t sound entirely in place just yet – and it might be good to hear an extra guitar in there – but jeez it’s refreshing to hear the refrain of ‘Battlecat’, “say miaow, miaow, miaow!” See, not enough frontmen perform animal impressions. This guy stretches his voice commendably around such nerdy concerns. Among these rattling tracks, the noisy climax of ‘Fountains’ is also worth remarking on. The short songs on this EP seem to have more interest in having fun than baring their soul, and it’s good to see a band who are a little tuneless and ramshackle and modest but winsome with it, and aren’t trying to jump on a garage bandwagon like every other Liberteen and Razorlite out there. So partly I like this band because maybe a lot of people wouldn't right now, and partly because they're incredibly something else, but also because there is a lot of promise in the songs they hurry through here. Miaow!
Calming down, this little EP finishes with ‘Concrete’, a slower, quieter, story-song, and probably their most accomplished; it’s definitely tenderer. It’s even got a little guitar solo that sounds straight out of an angsty cartoon, and a nicely self-conscious romance: “last night I dreamed we were running through a summer meadow…”
It’s touching and funny. There’s no sound quite like slacker heartbreak. Recommended.
