Retriever are a Newcastle band (seriously, what do you feed your musicians up there?!) who really should have come to my attention before the weekend just gone. Their dark, fuzzed-up frenzy of screeching guitar noise, pummelling drum machine beats and gnarling vocals is right up my street. The shoegaze / post-punk side of my street anyway. For those who appreciate only my folkier side won't find much joy here.
Retrievers' forthcoming release is a split 7" with fellow Newcastle band Cult Image via Splash One Records on 19th September, their lead track on it 'Arms Out Wide' highlights their sound well. A raw and moody monochrome assault, with dark and vicious vocals, angry scratching guitars and a prominent bass-line throughout. It's doing wonders for my ears that's for sure.
I do wonder how this lot escaped my attention until now, especially when I read that earlier EP 'The Rattle and the Hiss' was released via Desire Records earlier this year. Without mentioning every excellent track (which is quite tempting) the title track and "The Engine" stand out. "The Engine" is a relentless juggernaut of loud and distorted guitar-driven choruses, as drum-machine beat drives the unforgiving howls hisses of brooding vocalist Jackie. It's been on repeat all day, well alongside their older release, 'Murder'.
"Murder" backed with "Lion" was their first single released last September and it's fucking wonderful too. An intense wall of discordant fuzz leads to an intoxicating headrush of feedback and menace, you can order that here. I've done so and recommend you do the same.
Listen:
Arms Out Wide by RETRIEVER
Murder by RETRIEVER
Lion by RETRIEVER
The Engine by RETRIEVER
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