Record review: The Downs – Spare Ribbed [Stabbed In The Back/Winning Sperm Party]

Glasgow trio The Downs are relative newcomers to the scene, but have been making small waves through the few shows they have performed, and now with this, their debut release (on tape, which is very trendy once again) through the excellent (and also young) Stabbed In The Back records and (the far more established) Winning Sperm Party.

The downs fit WSP’s aesthetic perfectly; there’s an excellent scene in Glasgow right now for noisy, arty bands and its pretty much through their collectivism through the label/promoting group.

The band’s gothy, krautrock inflected sound leads to an intriguing listen and experience.

Though traceable to bands like The Cramps or Bauhaus (and more recently, The Horrors) The Downs collect a free-moving block of music which steadily stomps through a musical moody and atmospheric forest, and is chilling at its best.

Spare Ribbed an impressively mature and accurate record, which though heavily rooted in its influences, makes an excellent effort to create a gloomy atmosphere.

The band are at the best where they attempt to change-up their formula, like in ‘Throb’ with its looming, stop-start drum beat, and as the tension grows, it makes for fantastic listening when the song finally does explode about a minute and a half-in.

Similarly ‘The Electric Chair’ slowly pulses away, built-upon a menacing bass-line which never quite sits still.

Equally, the band can crack out an enthralling track even when sticking to the tried and tested, ‘Goblins’ for instance plays in much the same way as the three tracks that precede it, but has probably the best highs and lows, and is an excellent example of the band’s layered use of vocals.

The only criticism I can really offer is the desire just to break and experiment further with the band’s sound.

At half an hour and seven-tracks, the record can get a little trying as it opens up yet-another half-beat drum line driving through another phasered guitar ‘solo’ and walking bass-line, to the point where finale ‘Hole’ feels just a little bit of a weaker let-down to end a record like this on.

But as mentioned, they still create a fundamentally interesting, if well-worn, sound and should be picked up by anyone who appreciates all things gloomy in 2012 (it does go well with the summer we’re having, after all).

Words: Adam Turner-Heffer