Swanton Bombs - Doom [Single]

Young and Lost Club

Dull, uninspired and insipid, but that’s enough about my week, let’s review some music. Oh dear it seems I won’t be filing away the aforementioned words just yet, because sadly they are the very words that sprang forth and lit up like huge great neon warning signs in my mind’s eye when listening to The Swanton Bombs new single 'Doom.' The band name is one that conjures up explosive excitement and exhilaration; alas the music is the polar opposite.

It’s not that this is a terrible song, it's just that it’s yet another torpid, bog standard, meat and two veg indie by numbers that we have heard time and time again and it lacks anything that could be termed original or exciting. This lack lustre effort, I'm afraid, very much sounds like a band experiencing some sort of identity crisis; a band whose indecision over how they should sound has merely paralysed any innovation and ensured that the noise produced lacks any real direction or focus. It is reminiscent of one of those old punk bands at the end of their career going through the motions yet who steadfastly refuse to lay down and die as they wheeze their way around the cabaret circuit rather than a young aspiring band that is vibrant, full of vigour and dare I say it, spunk!

‘Doom’ starts off promisingly enough, vaguely hinting at early Clash garage punk but this favourable impression soon evaporates as a myriad of bands from Super furry Animals to The Libertines to Gorki’s Zygotic Mynci also briefly spring to mind. The problem is that none of these influences stick around long enough to became fully formed and unfortunately the overall feeling that this scattergun style of musical pick pocketing leaves is that you’ve just been listening to a UK Subs tribute band- “Yes tonight Matthew I’m going to be Charlie Harper.” I suppose the fact that I misheard a line in the “chorus” as “Go home to your Nan” didn’t exactly endear the song to me or serve to change my already less than favourable impression.

The B-side ‘New York City Cops’ is a significant improvement and does actually have a bit of a punked up, sub- Clash vibe but the shambolic rough and ready ambiance they seem to wish to create sounds a little too contrived and considered. The simple truth is that ‘Doom’ doesn’t work as a single as it fails to engage on any level. It’s just not strong enough to hold the listeners attention for more than a few seconds and is essentially a two minute and thirty seven seconds long reminder that the garden fence needs creosoting. It has all the depth of a Kate Moss snow angel and to be quite honest, left me feeling slightly depressed. I’m sure that this band of which I have heard talked of in glowing terms in some quarters must surely have more in their arsenal than this? If not then I’m equally sure they have a great future ahead of them but whether that future lies in music remains open to debate.

Swanton Bombs? Yes on this evidence they really do. Fail !