The Nova Saints - The Draft (Rough Trade)
4/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
The raw attitude that's coming out of the north-midlands right now from the likes of The Tommys, The Enemy and Agent Blue is somewhat reflected in the outbursts of this Bristol band who could have come straight from a Manchester recording studio circa 1994 having heard 'Definitely Maybe' being made, and taken it immediately to Kasabian to remould. This is the belter that we've been waiting for all year, and where similar artists end up shouting at us in a sub-U2 manner, this EP is without malice or façade. It's got hints of Stone Roses and a murmur of Happy Mondays, but the banging and elevated vocals coupled with a climbing, head-nodding guitar bring it up to date with a layered and progressive tone that bakes into the sombre psychedelia that it almost stumbles across accidentally.
These lot could so easily become one of the most talked about bands of the summer as they make a sound that's already dotted around seem new, electrifying and fantastically effortless. When something sounds this simple - and works - you can't help but love it, and each track on the 4-strong EP has its own identity and jumps out at you as the prevailing number. In essence, this has a delightfully northern feel but with a beauty that only a southern-based band could construct, and because of that great divide-smashing reason, this should by all rights be loved by all. The unfussy, bold guitars and earth-shattering drums adding just more fuel to a fire started by grippingly transfixing vocals, giving it even more momentum and weight.
Strip it all back and rattle it around as Verve guitarist Nick McCabe has done on 'Far Out' and you're set for the evocatively inexorable pursuit that 'The Draft' will chase you with, following you around and invading your life. This tune shows there's room in the UK scene for lyric-less music as long as it's done well - and by any standard, this whole EP has done just that - can make an impact. Even on this oversized single you can imagine the band playing to sold out crowds at festival sized gigs across the country, and that's all rather exciting and surely the mark of something that has more than enough potential to really stand out. This isn't a band you can ignore no matter how hard you try and you just hope that they don't fade away as The Music inexplicably did a few years ago; leaving a gaping hole in the industry, a gap that's now been well and truly plastered.
Watch the video to 'The Draft' HERE.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment