aaamusic | On 05, Jul 2010

Finding an exquisite balance between the 60’s girl group and British Invasion sounds they adore, and a lyrical point of view that can only be described as impossibly modern, LA based quartet The Like have come into their own.

Their long awaited new album Release Me is the product of hard work, fortuitous new partnerships and great songs that reflect a long and winding period where the band has collectively been through it all and come out on the other side far stronger for the experience.

Produced by Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Robbie Williams) with additional production by Thomas Brenneck and Homer Steinweiss (of The Dap Kings), and Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Release Me crackles and pops with girlgroup sass. Tracks like He’s Not A Boy – released as the first single on 31^st May – and Don’t Make a Sound somehow find the place where the edge of the Animals and the heartbreak of the Shangri-Las meet and are infused with an edgy, clear-eyed romanticism that are irresistible.

At the band’s core is the partnership between founding members Z Berg (lead vocals, guitar and main songwriting duties) and Tennessee Thomas (drums) who formed the all-girl band when they were 15. While Z and Tennessee are understandably thrilled with Release Me, they’re also ecstatic about the two newest members of the band, Laena Geronimo (bass) and Annie Monroe (organ).  “We never intended to be a girl band,” says Tennessee. “But we became rather pleased about it eventually,” she says with a laugh.

Fresh off their US tour with the Arctic Monkeys the band returned to the UK in May for a storming string of London dates and will return to the UK in September for a full UK tour. “We were home a lot the past few years,” says Z, “and I’m excited to get out there.” She continues with a grin, “We’re a very different kind of band now, and it’s a very different kind of show. One with infinitely more energy!” Indeed, Release Me heralds the arrival of a stronger, tighter, and more enthused band, one with a stronger and deeper sense of who they are, all of which comes out in their undeniable new music.

UK DATES

1st Sept           King Tuts                     Glasgow

2^nd Sept            The Cluny                     Newcastle

3^rd Sept            Ruby Lounge               Manchester

4^th Sept            Plug                             Sheffield

5^th Sept            Bodega                                   Nottingham

7^th Sept            Clwb Ifor Bach              Cardiff

8^th Sept            The Rainbow                Birmingham

9^th Sept            Start The Bus               Bristol

10^th Sept           Jericho                         Oxford

11^th Sept           Audio                           Brighton

13^th Sept           Haymakers                   Cambridge

15^th Sept           ICA                              London

TRACK LISTING

1. Wishing He Was Dead
2. He’s Not A Boy
3. Release Me
4. Walk Of Shame
5. Narcissus In A Red Dress
6. I Can See It In Your Eyes
7. Fair Game
8. Square One
9. In The End
10. Trouble In Paradise
11. Catch Me If You Can
12. Don’t Make A Sound
13. (hidden track: Why When Love Is Gone)