Page 50 - 368649 LP250851 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) November 2022
P. 50
NEW SINGLE BY CRUX
‘RADGIE GADGIE'
NE VOLUME RATING
Storming in with a delightfully colloquial title as a display of local heritage, Newcastle band Crux’s ‘Radgie Gadgie’ is a barnstorming multi-segment single which develops into nothing less than a suite across its three minutes. Despite trading in the highly contemporary flavours of the UK’s world-leading post-punk, Crux aren’t easily pinned upon the alternative-rock spectrum - and ‘Radgie Gadgie’ shows it, with aplomb. The band describe it as their most complex and fastest song to date - and no lies are told. On structure alone, the track doesn’t leave an inch of empty space. In its opening sequences, it tracks with the ferocity of primetime Arctic Monkeys, replete with prototypes of the kind of desert-kissed, overhanging, spooky-wooky riffs that band first perfected in their underappreciated ‘Humbug’ era, but with the whole shebang played at the pace of ska. Lyrically, the cut bears a fable of toxic masculinity as alluded to by the title, topically adjacent to Idles’ ‘Never Fight A Man With A Perm’. The entire enterprise delves much closer to the classic sound and general hallmarks of bona fide punk-rock than many peers are comfortable with these days, and in the same spirit, its closing trilogy of movements is highly volatile. First comes a yelping, musically stop-start bridge of spoken word snippets, littered with snapshots of chaotic North-East ‘conversation’ most likely to be overheard in the vicinity of social lubricants. This builds to a clean-picked calm- of-the-storm section followed ultimately by a finale of thrashing delirium and vocal stylings not usually suited to mainstream consumption, but in the context of the track, as a whole, this is a characteristically erratic bookend, and perfectly mirrors the narrative drive of the song. It isn’t quite ‘Paranoid Android’ in its mould-breaking, but there is an excitement and versatility inherent throughout ‘Radgie Gadgie’ that marks out why Crux are worth eyeballing. The true twist comes from the band’s citation of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s 1875 orchestral composition ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’ in creating the ‘sonic pantomime’ they project as the musical bedrock of the song. As a precedent for escalating tempo, volume and instrumental convergence, there could scarcely be a loftier reference point. Tempting as it may be to read this as tongue-in-cheek against the contextual backdrop, it seems to matter little either way. ‘Radgie Gadgie’ is a hare- brained, wire-walking thrill, a highbrow-lowbrow clash all the more thrilling for its ludicrous equidistance. You can listen to the track now on all major streaming platforms. MICHAEL JOHNSON
EW
WHITE NOISE.
‘NO MORE’ SINGLE
NE VOLUME RATING
An incredible track from rockers White Noise, ‘No More’ is the latest single from this Teesside quartet, formed in 2018. With an incredible mix of ‘70s-inspired Blues guitar work and indie-rock vocals, White Noise definitely connected and hit that spot. From the moment the song began, there was just something to like about it - and you wanted to turn the volume up high. With the band
having cut their teeth in the North East, many a night would’ve seen this group playing pubs and clubs to an unappreciative audience - one which slowly has to be swayed to their talents. But with tracks like ‘No More’ and ‘Middle Man’, this Teesside act should have no problem in encouraging more fans to follow their lead in the months to come. ‘No More’ is available to stream right now on all major streaming platforms. WAYNE MADDEN
NE VOLUME RATINGS EXPLAINED
THIS IS AMAZING! WORTH A LISTEN!
SO, SO. GOOD EFFORT. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT... NOT FOR ME, THANKS...
50 \\ NE VOLUME MAGAZINE \\ ALBUM REVIEWS
