aaamusic | On 18, Mar 2012

Well, there are only so many bands with a song titled ‘German Suplex’, aren’t there? Tall For Jockeys are none other than Robot House working under a brand new name, and judging from the booming three-dimensional production job on ‘Get Japan On The Phone’, despite the strange name-change they have only become more serious about what they do. A hell of a lot more serious.

 

Opening track ‘Riptide’ follows on largely from where Robot House’s release left off: it’s part Pixies, with Mudhoney’s heaviness laid thickly on top. There’s shades of prog and indeed pop mixed into the melancholy, even introspective melodies, and the gently bleak lyrics are snarled over the backdrop of understated yet tumultuous drums and fuzzed-out rhythm guitars that proceed to turn a little bit Swervedriver in the choruses, catchy but remaining elusive at the same time, and the clean lead guitar lines that build as the song progresses add yet another nuance. The pounding, bassy instrumental of ‘Louis TherouXXX’ doesn’t quite match up with the hoarse, almost forlorn and emotive Pixies-meets-QOTSA at times, but it the former is an intense Hawk Eyes offcut with buzzsaw fuzz guitars, and the later has a subtle bitterness and danger that hits home the menacing atmosphere of the snarling riffs, and shows the band aren’t just trying to be just another heavy sounds zeitgeist outfit. Speaking of heavy sounds, however, ‘German Suplex’ from their old release has found a re-release on this EP, and thanks to the much better production and mix, it’s been transformed into a choppy, biting hybrid of Fugazi and Turbowolf. Not even three minutes long, the pounding and tight 6/8 riffs and 4/4 moshpit groove, squalling feedback and booming bass end (that was sadly absent last time) make it a surprising yet intensely enjoyable track.

Again, Tall For Jockeys have included a slower and more introspective song on the EP. This time, it is the haunting ‘Heir’. In many respects, it is a much heavier beast than its spiritual predecessor ‘Gaps’, with a huge, cavernous chorus instrumental that swamps the vocals almost completely in the immense yet sparse drums and rumbling but minimal bass, but the guitars, especially in the intro, are much more akin to the shoegaze-ier side of things. The verses especially hold a noticeable Swervedriver side to them again, with dizzying guitar melody/bassline interplay, but everything else hits an early Foo Fighters/Nine Inch Nails midpoint that proves startlingly attention-grabbing, especially in the brooding menace of the latter half of the song. Lo-fi it may still be, but hard to pass by.

 

Again, Tall For Jockeys might not have reached the golden formula YET, but ‘Get Japan On The Phone’ is once again a great EP that shows a promising young band that deserve fans of 90s grunge, Swervedriver, early-00s US alernative (Brand New, Finch, Thrice) and the new wave of British heavy bands like Hawk Eyes to all take a close and doubtless appreciative listen. These guys have something good going on, and it’s strong and individual enough that they might just get far with it.

 

Katie H-Halinski