This is Radio Freedom - Strike Sparks Anywhere [EP]

SIDEWALK 7 LTD

November 13, 2008, 11:36 AM

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The “Strike Sparks Anywhere” EP is not dressed-up Bravery-esque pop shite, neither is it the clumsy, raging rock and rollin’ I’m normally quick to pigeonhole – this EP sits somewhere in the middle; somewhere murky, somewhere deep, and best of all, infuriatingly, This is Radio Freedom leave you wanting just that little bit more. It’s like bingeing on a tasty takeaway – you nearly break your belly, but the lingering tang on your tongue keeps you shoving it down until you just can’t take any more...

Despite the actual writing sounding appropriately old-school, the tracks from This is Radio Freedom’s debut EP seem to radiate a rare kind of freshness and lastability that I am immediately warming to. The opening title track points to Ian Astbury vocally, teams with synthetic drive and clonking guitars, and sets the tone for the rest of the collection – if you don’t like this one, you won’t like the rest of them, so you better jump off the fence and form an opinion quick! Thankfully it didn’t take long for me to gauge the purpose of these guys. They endeavour to be that little bit more political, to make a little bit more of a statement than your average indie group, and if you like your music rife with restlessness and encrypted with all sorts of hidden meaning then you’re gonna fall on your knees fast for “Strike Sparks Anywhere”.

Being a sucker for any kind of synthesiser, I’m also delighted that the electro vibe hasn’t been overused and instead sits cleverly between gorgeously gated beats and fashionable clanging guitar soundscapes. Personal favourite “Bombthreat” gives me disco-balls and driving music (ESSENTIAL qualities...) whilst still maintaining an edge of fashionable grit and modern-day dry lyricism. The Dan Le Sac remix of older track “Family Man” is quite glamorous and I’m grateful to the bloke for keeping the essence of the band’s sound without going overboard on the production. Well, perhaps the production is too grand for some, but I’m just appreciating that This is Radio Freedom have the balls to make a big deal of every musical idea and exude enough confidence to do their own thing without conforming to any underground-scene stereotypes. I sincerely hope This is Radio Freedom break the mould and break bigger audiences – they have the cleanely-recorded songs they need to get noticed and the dirty quirkiness of an act bound to succeed. But make up your own mind – get out there and nab this EP when it’s scheduled for release on 1st December.

http://www.myspace.com/thisisradiofreedom

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