Algiers & Sink Ya Teeth

Twenty whole days since my last gig of 2018, I am out and about for my first gig of 2019. I’d been starting to get withdrawal symptoms.
 
SINK YA TEETH’s self-titled debut was one of my of my LPs of last year and the album launch gig at this very venue was up there too.Tonight, the sound isstill the 80s inflected, hard electropop that I have fallen for but it is somehow both harsher and looser than the last time I saw them. Gem (bass/vox/electronics) come across as more relaxed whilst Maria(vocal/keys/electronics/percussion)is losing herself in the music, throwing shapes and moves like there is no tomorrow. All in all, a powerful, confident set from two of the stars of the local scene.

 
There is a half-hour gap between bands that is filled with an atmospheric, continuous organ piece. This manages to both build the tension and excitement and be, well, a wee bit pompous and pretentious. I mean,it is not up there with metal leg-ends Manowar having the Superman theme play for 90 minutes before hitting the stage but, well, just a tad unnecessary, particularly as there is a minute or two silence between that andALGIERSdoing their thing.
 
And what a thing it is. Mixing soul, gospel, punk, electronica and seemingly countless other genres, this is an all encompassing tornado of sound. My notes mention the Stooges, Death Grips, late period Swans, James Brown, MC5, Wilson Picket and Massive Attack - all in the first three or four songs! To confound things further, there is a new song that sounds like Motörhead gone Oi.
 
At times - with Franklin James Fisher handling lead vocals, guitar, piano, keys and tambourine, Ryan Mahan taking on bassand synthesisers, Lee Tesche playing guitarand bashing away at a mic’d up guitar body, often all in the same song - it can get a little messy. For the most part, though, this is one of the most enthralling sets of new (to me) music that I have witnessed for a quite a while. Along with former Bloc Partier Matt Tong on drums, the band make music that is experimental and challenging but also heartfelt and soulful. Fisher has a superb, rich and deep voice. Mahan looks like Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson’s younger, edgier, dare I say much cooler younger brother and his moves make him the star of the show.