My Life Was Ruined By The Wind-Up Birds

By The Wind-up Birds

"Warning signal, warning sign, put these thoughts out of your mind" are the first words that you are greeted with when listening to The Wind-up Birds' new EP and they will be same words that you'll spend the next week singing to yourself whether you like it or not.

"Round Here" is packed with a sort of prog rock bass line that is camouflaged by breezy Happy Mondays flickering guitars. Then the snarling lead vocals cry over the top in the form of a polite John Lydon if he'd spent the last year taking elocution lessons.

In contrast "Glow" sees vocal duties being passed round the band and this charming anthem sees the influence of a certain former member of the Smiths shine through. With a beautiful dreamy chorus and a hint of strings that act as a fluffy cushion for the song to rest on.

"Drinking Song" sees the band revert back to their edgier, in your face style and it also becomes apparent that the bands direction is heavily influenced by who is closest to the mic. With Paul in charge then you can expect a punk rock slap in the face while with Matt you're more likely to be serenaded from below.

Final track "Stay Close To the Driver" sees the band somehow produce a song that is influenced by both The Smiths and The Sex Pistols. On paper it shouldn't work yet in reality it's an absolute belter.

An essential listen for anyone who loves or hates punk.

• thewindupbirds.co.uk

Comments

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On 7th September 2004 at 19:23 Anonymous 2538 wrote...

Several people laughed at me when I said that I thought this band had great potential, from their rather shambling early live performances. I can now smugly say I was right as I too have this demo and it is rather fine. Bit of a mix between Pixies, Pistols and The Smiths if you can imagine such a thing. No idea what they're like live now, but when I first saw them they were, err... unique! Worth digging this out though if you can find it IMHO.