Roland Shanks - Tarantula/Concern to Leave (Modern Art)
2/5
By: Michael Lewin
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Rockfeedback is almost dancing as we work out what to say!
Actually, no - I'm just almost dancing. The couple of times I saw Roland Shanks, I almost danced too. Every time I hear them, however, I do know exactly what to say: when did Bloc Party replace Kele with Morrissey?
Maybe it's not Morrissey. Maybe it's a Futurehead.
It doesn't really matter - it's just obvious that "Jamie Blanco" must be a pseudonym. For Roland Shanks' sake, though, let's humour them and pretend it's not.
And if we do humour them, the results are in no way bad - a correctly-assembled secondary school biology model of the internal organs of 21st century rock. Flamboyantly-assembled, even.
Actually, it may be enough to make you actually dance with those lithe hips of yours - mine are a touch arthritic, to be honest.
And it is so very well assembled: 'Tarantula' leans forward insistently, yelling Bloc Party guitar sputters and squiggles like spittle into your face with a free-flowing structure devised by Maximo Park, and some bass to make you wiggle those luscious hips of yours, stressed by jagged 'eh-ah-ohs' from "Jamie".
Like 'Cutting Teeth' before it, 'Tarantula' fits nicely into the playlist of any mediocre indiedisco dj across the land. On that CD he puts on mid-set, when everyone is so drunk they'll dance to anything or vomit - leaving him free to talk to the 18 year old who's been hanging round the booth all night.
Not bad, but I'd much rather be shocked next time.
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