I pulled out of the stack this little indie alt-rock gem by UK rock band Sub Cultures. Their first single released in a year, Peeping Andrew is saturated and marinated in a fantastic blend of guitars. I was hooked at the first listen. The guitars are layered into a dreamy-yet-edgy atmosphere in the opening, full of promise for lovers of Indie Alt-Rock. Which is us. The melody line of the guitar feels hopeful and maybe even playful; energetic without being excessively attention-seeking. Love the complementary work of the bass guitar, deep and anchoring and bringing out all of the colors and nuances of the lead and rhythmic guitars.
And it keeps moving and evolving. The dreaminess evolves into a more aggressive sensation, spilling into a wide, open chorus fronted by the lead vocals of Kane Radnor and textured with quietly lush vocal harmonies. I don’t know if you can call alt-rock “enchanting”–but I do feel to be under a spell. Or in a dream, as Kane’s alluring Brit-rock vocal style refrains,
It feels like
I am
Stuck in a dream
It’s all dreamy and gritty and gorgeous. Count me in.
If you hear hints of The Cure, you are close to home. Peeping Andrew is produced by Jack Boston, a Producer and Recording Engineer who has done some production work for The Cure; and it certainly shows and tells in the quality of and attention to the recording.
Sub Cultures is comprised of Lewis Parks (lead guitar), Charlie Foster (bass), Eric Karvik (drums), and Kane Radnor (lead vocals and rhythm guitar). They have received attention from BBC Radio Wales and can be found playing live festivals and shows around the UK this summer. Happy to have been introduced to the work of these young artists, and curious where the road will take them.
