The Earlies - 'The Enemy Chorus' (679) Released 29/01/07

Experimental is a word that sends shivers down the spines of many whilst simultaneously enticing many more. It’s often used when discussing second albums and also on ‘Behind The Music’ style shows when a man who now works in IT explains why he went from headlining Wembley stadium to living with his mum and crying. A lot. Experimental music doesn’t sell, moreover it puts people off, so it’s with trepidation in our hearts that we approach The Earlies new effort. A band with which the ‘E’ word is synonymous.

Kicking off with the folky ‘No Love In Your Heart’ things seem to be getting off to a steady start but soon enough a squelchy beat is introduced and on the choruses a big brass section. Miraculously though things are rained in and reaches a splendid crescendo. ‘Burn The Liars’ is a Super Furries esque foray into eccentric pop which produces glorious results and ‘Enemy Chorus’ is a lo-fi dose of woozy stoner folk sweeps and droops in all the right places. Three tracks in and not one mention of the words ‘noodling’, ‘self-indulgent’ and ‘ten minutes too long’? This experimenting lark is actually pretty fun!

‘The Ground We Walk On’ is a very chilled out track that whilst not adding much doesn’t see the listener scrambling for the skip button wither. ‘Bad Is As Bad Does’ is a dark, moody and atmospheric ramble through the seedier side of life, think dark city alley ways at 3am. Some parts of ‘The Enemy Chorus’ do fall a little short however- ‘Gone For The Most Part’ is a slightly pointless instrumental and ‘Foundation and Earth’ has a happy tone to it but feels a little tired and seems to steal from the Grange Hill Theme tune at times. The only track that really stands out from tail end of the LP is ‘When The Wind Blows’ with a big marching band beat interspersed by twinkling piano’s and mournful lyrics.

Perhaps if Arcade Fire where a little less obsessed with all things dark and macabre they would sound like The Earlies, a band who we imagine would far rather drink ginger beer and eat jam sandwiches than sing about the end of the world. Adam Ant once sang that ridicule is nothing to be scared of, well The Earlies are showing that neither is experimentation.