Big Bad Echo: It Takes A Big Dog To Weigh A Tonne

This is a refreshingly eclectic release: fuzz rock, cacophonous drones, spoken-word monologues, off-kilter psychedelia and a catchy lead single combine to make a record that throws up one high-quality surprise after another. ‘Cannon Fire’ and ‘Half Polyester Sheets’ provide an opening 11 minutes of pounding layers of noise fit for any late-night road trip, while vocalist Mick Reddy recalls Jim Morrison at his most shamanistic. ‘Ice Breaker’ is the obvious single, although its repetitive rumblings and ruminations are far from radio-friendly and all the better for it. “All I ever wanted is to fall at your feet,” Reddy sings amid an outpouring of angst, urgency and reverb. ‘Two Crows Flying’ takes a turn for the weird, as a dismal vocal fights for space with searing guitars and a sinister synth, and closer ‘Blink Your Eyes’ mashes all the aforementioned elements into the type of six-minute, Herculean beast of a track that leaves instruments and musicians alike bruised and broken.

Witnessing a band marching triumphantly to the sound of its own (somewhat peculiar) drum makes you hope it can construct a killer album. All evidence Big Bad Echo have offered thus far points to the quintet releasing something big – and certainly not bad – in the future.