The Slow Readers Club - Build A Tower

Leider gibt es die deutsche Band Diego nicht mehr, denn deren Alben „Two“ (2008) und „Gold“ (2010) waren immer ein guter Editors-Ersatz. Selbst zu deren besten Zeiten. Wer nun von „Violence“, dem aktuellen Longplayer von Tom Smith & Co., enttäuscht ist, dem sei The Slow Readers Club ans Herz gelegt.

Nachdem das aus Manchester stammende Quartett (Aaron Starkie, Kurtis Starkie, James Ryan und David Whitworth) seine ersten beiden Alben („The Slow Readers Club“, 2011, und „Cavalcade“, 2015, das bei Platten vor Gericht gute 7,333 Punkte einfahren konnte) im Eigentrieb veröffentlicht hat, sind sie für „Build A Tower“ bei dem kleinen Indielabel Modern Sky unter Vertrag genommen wurden. Das scheint sich auszuzahlen, denn das Album erreichte Platz 18 der UK-Charts und 5 der 14 Konzerte der aktuellen Tournee in Großbritannien sind ausverkauft.

„Build A Tower“ ist als CD und LP (rotes Vinyl) erhältlich. Auf der Homepage der Band kann man die Langspielplatte auch in limitierter Version (1000 Stück) käuflich erwerben: This is the special exclusive webstore only very limited colourway in Marigold Yellow with Black swirl with a special colourway of the album artwork exclusive to this pressing only.

Kommen wir zu den Singles „Lunatic“, „Through The Shadows“ und - so schließt sich der Kreis - das mich sehr an Diego erinnernde „You Opened Up My Heart“ sowie einigen sehr wohlwollenden Plattenkritiken:

It all kicks off with first single Lunatic,  all keyboards and techno style beats layered with a great guitar sound and dark lyrics reminiscent of Curtis “Build a tower, hundred storeys high, lock myself in, isolation” It’s a great start for Aaron and company. Next song Supernatural wouldn’t look uncomfortable on a Foals album with that guitar sound and groovy beat. They may have dark lyrics but the sounds are instantly infectious. You Opened Up My Heart is like listening to The Killers, or Interpol on e-numbers kicking in with a nice New Order-esque drum beat and a guitar riff that reminds me of the theme tune to Knight Rider! It has a cracking chorus that will be ringing around the festival circuit in a raucous sing along. Never Said I Was The Only One has a Julian Cope feel to it as Aaron has that same vocal range quality and it reminds me of early Teardrop Explodes stuff. On The TV is another future anthem and in the same line as Foals / Maccabees type indie offerings is catchy as fuck. They continue in a similar vein with tracks like Lives Never Known, the excellent single Through The Shadows and more. The only disappointment for me is the last track Distant Memory which trundles of into nowhere and stops the album from getting a 5 bomb review for me.
(Louder Than War)

Track one Lunatic was their first single from the album. This is accomplished dark, indie electro-pop with powerful lyrics, a wall of electronica and Aaron Starkie’s haunting vocals. “Sure in days of old I’d be chained to the floor”. It sets the scene beautifully for the rest of the album building to an emotional crescendo before ending with self-assurance. Supernatural is contagious with a great beat and soaring vocals and guitar. You Opened Up My Heart has great drums and guitar and a chant-able, anthemic chorus: a modern-day love song. This has been getting lots of radio airplay introducing the band to wider audiences. Never Said I Was The Only One has an ethereal, dreamy quality to it and a staccato guitar effect that works really well and some smooth synth sounds. On The TV has a catchy refrain that you’ll soon be singing along to.
Through The Shadows builds gently with a flicker of synthesiser before beating drum and guitar come in and build up the rhythm. This is a tight song with Aaron’s vocal holding fort and bringing the whole combination together effortlessly. Lives Never Known has more of that staccato guitar effect and a great tempo that changes about a minute in with a wonderful synth-wave that blasts through the song. This has echoes of Depeche Mode in here and is darkly, hypnotically transcendent. Distant Memory is poetic, with it’s picking style guitar. This builds to a wonderful climax before ending the album on this final note.
(XS Noize)