More about: Bandicoot

Swansea quartet Bandicoot, signed with Libertino Records, drop their debut album Black After Dark tomorrow (4 March). The 13-track record is an exhilarating musical journey, encapsulating the energy of the group's spirited live sets whilst also showcasing their ability to write a well-balanced, original album. 

The Welsh four-piece are breathing new life into glam rock with Black After Dark; an expansive, theatrical defining statement that is a culmination of five years of hard work. 

Adrenaline-charged opening track ‘Siren’ is packed with atmospheric guitar and distorted vocals, providing listeners with a taste of what’s to come and setting the tone of the album. It's easy to imagine dancing to this at a gig. Glam track ‘FUZZY’ is also relentlessly energetic, sonically giving White Stripes and The Beatles vibes. The stomping anthem showcases hooky guitar and almost Elvis-like vocals. Coming in short and sweet just at just over the two-minute mark, it leaves you wanting more. 

‘Life Death and Other Things’ offers a reflection on the struggles of songwriting and is one of the album’s strongest moments. The track begins with a simple drum beat before staccato piano and quirky guitar kick in. Rhys Undertown’s vocals performance here is brilliant and completely infectious, somewhere between Morrisey and Bowie. 

Raucous ‘O Nefoedd!’ strikes the perfect balance of noise and control. The track features a warm bassline, a few tempo changes and shouting call-and-response vocals, with some of the lyrics in Welsh. As the track progresses, the guitars get heavier, and there is a great frantic piano section.

The gentle opening piano notes of ‘Early In The Morning’ offer a dramatic contrast. The slow-burning love song is split into three parts; starting out dreamy with tender vocals over the simple electric piano before the guitars and drums come in as things slowly build into a crescendo. This emotionally-charged offering is reminiscent again of The Smiths and even Blur. 

Keeping in line with the cinematic feel, the ‘Dark Too Long’ intro creates a wall of sound using cymbals to build suspense before the vocalist takes a deep breath and starts singing. This is a '70s glam rock track with driving riffs, rumbling percussion and lyrics tackling themes of loneliness. 

Adrenaline soaked ‘Mynedfeydd’ is written completely in Welsh with relentless racing guitar and rapid-fire drums that don’t give you a second to catch your breath. Title track ‘Black After Dark’ evokes nostalgia with pining vocals, slowing things down to a nice change of pace before the cutting guitars of ‘Train Station Mural’ pick it back up again, sounding Stone Roses-esque before the sax come in adding a unique twist. 

Black After Dark is brilliant exploration of styles and influences and is a strong debut of well-crafted rock'n'roll. It is a thoroughly fun listen that injects some modern life back into the glam rock gene with a unique twist that really puts Swansea back on the map!

Black After Dark arrives 4 March via Libertino Recordings.

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More about: Bandicoot