aaamusic | On 26, Jun 2010

Remember when music had genuine romance soaked into its fabric? Well, The Crookes do, or at least they seem to know that was once the case. With a band name like that, along with the title of their new single: ‘Bloodshot Days’, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re facing another spiky crew of indie misfits. However, as soon as the first few notes unfold, you find yourself in the warm embrace of tender-hearted rock music. I have never in my life encountered such a beautiful song about apathy, the title referring to how days “bleed together”.

The Crookes have a sound that might not be breaking many barriers in its most basic form (clean guitars, tight rhythms characterised by snare-drum rattles, simple basslines) but it’s the small touches and how they use them that make this track stand out. The guitars and drums have small hints of flamenco thrown into the mixture in the form of muted cowbells and a certain flavour to the melody. The vocals are of particular note: the singer has an incredibly warm and tuneful voice that you could easily pass hours listening to. There’s an incredible sense of romanticism here that has been lost in the alienation culture of punk rock, and at long last rediscovered and placed back into rock.

In ‘Through The Cat’s Whisker’, we find ourselves immersed in a timeless world as softly echoing whimsical guitars strum and tremolo their way into a happier place, and the singer softly croons a story of love calling through the years. Although the instrumentation is modern, the sound could indeed be echoing from sixty years ago, welcoming old-fashioned dance music from the 1940s and 50s into its world.

No, The Crookes aren’t scaring the horses with any shocking developments, and they wouldn’t want to. Instead they are here to provide a new blossoming of romance in pop music, and to provide the soundtrack to many blissful summer evenings in the coming years, be they quiet moments, or that cherished slow-dance with a sweetheart.

Author: Katie H-Halinski