Music > Album Reviews

Eagulls // Eagulls Partisan Records

17/02/14

Released 3rd March 2014

Eagulls // Eagulls Partisan Records

Eagulls have received fairly heavy exposure in the hipster press, earning praise from NME and Pitchfork. I had high expectations of the Leeds 5 piece but was not expecting this. Eagulls take an early 80s post-punk/proto goth sound and give it a 21st Century twist.

Opener "Nerve Endings" could be "Script of the Bridge" era Chameleons, complete with flanged guitars.  "Possessed" comes on like Julian Cope fronting My Bloody Valentine on a cover of the Cure’s "In Between Days". Closer "Soulless Youth" not only sounds like early Killing Joke but equals almost anything on their first album or "What’s THIS For...!"

Throughout the album, the comparisons flow thick and fast, with hints of the Banshees, PiL, March Violets, UK Decay and Virgin Prunes but there is enough originality to transcend the influences.

The guitars of Mark Goldsworthy and Liam Matthews are clearly influenced by Killing Joke's Geordie Walker or PiL's Keith Levene. Tom Kelly and Henry Ruddell are a tight and occasionally inventive rhythm section. George Mitchell has an urgent yelp that is distinctly individual but may not appeal to everyone.

A change of pace and dynamics wouldn’t go amiss but overall this is a fine debut.

Pavlis 8/10

Released 3rd March 2014

Eagulls // Eagulls Partisan Records

Eagulls have received fairly heavy exposure in the hipster press, earning praise from NME and Pitchfork. I had high expectations of the Leeds 5 piece but was not expecting this. Eagulls take an early 80s post-punk/proto goth sound and give it a 21st Century twist.

Opener 'Nerve Endings' could be 'Script of the Bridge'-era Chameleons, complete with flanged guitars. 'Possessed' comes on like Julian Cope fronting My Bloody Valentine on a cover of the Cure’s 'In Between Days'. Closer 'Soulless Youth' not only sounds like early Killing Joke but equals almost anything on their first album or 'What’s THIS For…!'

Throughout the album, the comparisons flow thick and fast, with hints of the Banshees, PiL, March Violets, UK Decay and Virgin Prunes but there is enough originality to transcend the influences.

The guitars of Mark Goldsworthy and Liam Matthews are clearly influenced by Killing Joke's Geordie Walker or PiL's Keith Levene. Tom Kelly and Henry Ruddell are a tight and occasionally inventive rhythm section. George Mitchell has an urgent yelp that is distinctly individual but may not appeal to everyone.

A change of pace and dynamics wouldn’t go amiss but overall this is a fine debut.

Pavlis 8/10

Released 3rd March 2014

Eagulls // Eagulls Partisan Records

Eagulls have received fairly heavy exposure in the hipster press, earning praise from NME and Pitchfork. I had high expectations of the Leeds 5 piece but was not expecting this. Eagulls take an early 80s post-punk/proto goth sound and give it a 21st Century twist.

Opener "Nerve Endings" could be "Script of the Bridge" era Chameleons, complete with flanged guitars.  "Possessed" comes on like Julian Cope fronting My Bloody Valentine on a cover of the Cure’s "In Between Days". Closer "Soulless Youth" not only sounds like early Killing Joke but equals almost anything on their first album or "What’s THIS For...!"

Throughout the album, the comparisons flow thick and fast, with hints of the Banshees, PiL, March Violets, UK Decay and Virgin Prunes but there is enough originality to transcend the influences.

The guitars of Mark Goldsworthy and Liam Matthews are clearly influenced by Killing Joke's Geordie Walker or PiL's Keith Levene. Tom Kelly and Henry Ruddell are a tight and occasionally inventive rhythm section. George Mitchell has an urgent yelp that is distinctly individual but may not appeal to everyone.

A change of pace and dynamics wouldn’t go amiss but overall this is a fine debut.

Pavlis 8/10