*Growl* Photograph: Michael Dolan

I am not going to beat around the bush here, The Cubical’s new album, ‘Come Sing These Crippled Tunes’ is nothing short of fantastic.

From the first track right through to the last it never loses any of the excitement that the band seem to carry around with them in abundance. I was fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with the band in Edinburgh recently and shared a flat with them for a night. Several beers later and we were singing Shakin’ Stevens’ famous Christmas song, lead singer Dan wobbling his knees around and the rest of us stomping our feet on the floor like the morning was never going to break. The sofa tore back and Percy the drummer was magically surrounded by his drum kit. Alex, one of the guitarists, pulled his Tele’ from nowhere and struck all the right chords and we were away, dancing and singing at the top of our voices.  Sadly, the bar was right below us and we knocked of a couple of ceiling tiles, which made the Landlord less than happy – so we soon had to stop.

This did give me time to ask a few questions about their new album. Recorded for the most part in Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood by Dave Sardy (Oasis, Wolfmother, Marilyn Manson) the band told me that it was the first time they truly felt like ‘musicians’. This feeling clearly comes through on the record, which shimmers with clever guitar work and great vocal presence throughout. The production works well, the distant bottom end and bright sparkly treble sandwich the achingly croaky lead vocals perfectly and you get the feeling that Sardy really got a grip for what the band was going for. Vocal led, blues backed, ear swamping spasms of sharp riffs and great Beach Boys style backing vocals. Its a combination that works well and its an interesting mix of musical influences balanced atop one another perfectly that have gained the group their ‘I recognise that sound…but it’s SO fresh’ style.

But, for a band with so much talent, they don’t seem particularly bothered by the fact they make some of the best music this writer has heard in a long, long time. “I hate it when drummers ask me about the kit that I use, like what kick drum do I have…” says Percy, the drummer, “…I don’t give a f**k as long as a banging comes out of it.” It all seems second nature to these guys, like you can give them any instrument and put them on a stage and they will make catchy infectious tunes for you to shake your legs around to.

Kicking off with the great backing vocal hook-line of ‘Great White Lie’ the first three tracks of the album grab you by the collar of your shirt and tell you exactly what The Cubical are going to do for you. Slicing bluesy driven guitar lines move in and out of one another making your head spin, whilst gravely dark vocals sputter some of the best lyrics I have come across for along time. The album then lets your catch your breath, just enough to sing along with the fantastic backing vocal line on ‘In the Night’.

‘All is Well’ is a haunting piano driven song with lyrics that, quite frankly, scare the shit out of me.  But then, after a short silence my fear is turned to excitement as the echoey drums crank up the volume for one of the albums strongest tracks, ‘Like Me (I’m a Peacock)’ with some of the most fantastic lyrics on the whole album:

“You never even liked me, and I stand for family values,

I’m the rumbling in your tummy, the ventriloquist’s dummy.

I’m your first love, your mortgage, your dog and your priest,

I am the artist recently deceased.

I’m your coupon, your token, gift horse whilst stocks last,

I put the eye in the looking glass.”

And this is just one example from an album full of great writing both musically and lyrically, that work together to paint a sinister picture. It’s music that has perfect potential to rip through the charts and cast a long, 1960’s shadow over modern popular music.

I have to admit, after seeing the band live and seeing how much presence they had on stage, I was surprised by the number of slower tracks on the album. To be fair though, I was more surprised by how much I enjoyed them. The lyrics weave such perfect images in your mind that there is no way you can’t be interested, “Everything you touch, turns to rust. Everything you own, just crusts”. You find yourself willingly listening intently to every word and that is something I find I can do with very few artists. From here follow a jangly few tunes, with the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek song ‘Ratty’ been a particularly highlight, with its zippy slide guitar harking back to the fantastic work of Mr. Zoot Horn Rollo.

A wonderfully dark tune ‘Would be Lovers’ concludes the album and you walk away with a very defined picture of what The Cubical are capable of. The album is up and down all the way through, which for me is such a blessing. I am tired of listening to an exciting album only to find that seven or eight tracks in, there are only a few acoustic songs of the band messing around slapped on the end. ‘Come Sing These Crippled Tunes’ is a piece. It is a whole. There are some great stand out songs on there, but the only way to fully take it all in is to stick on a pair of headphones and listen to the guitars dance in your ears, underneath the booming voice of lead singer Dan Wilson.

DH

http://www.myspace.com/thecubicalthecubical