11 October 2015

L-PLATES


Maybe some people would skip right by a 1993 demo from an unknown UK band...but some people do lots of things you don't do, so maybe you should listen. The guitar is the first thing you notice with L-PLATES; distorted and affected in a way that is equal parts teenage thrash demo and Ahead-era WIRE. Drop that sound in to a dual vocal adult anarcho assault and you get something that is noteworthy at worst ("Our Fixture World" and the eponymous second track), but stop-and-take-a-listen-no-really-pay attention! at it's best. The recording sometimes masks legitimate burners like "M.O.A.B." and "My Twilight Zone," while several numbers come off like a Spiderleg band born one decade too late. But "Civilian Depopulation" is the track. It's when the seemingly random '80s WIRE comparison popped into my head (though on this one it's as much the vocals as the guitars), and it's just a really well crafted and engaging song. So skip L-PLATES because it's not on the back of your cool friend's vest, but remember that your cool friend probably makes fun of you when you aren't around. So question, change, and use your mind.



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