A band. 4 members. 12 tracks. Emotive music. Ahhhhh……..but what it this? A wagon? Shall we hop on?

‘Don’t be shy!’ it beckons me. Perplexed? You shouldn’t be for it is merely me jumping on the proverbial bandwagon – simple really when you understand my logic.

It seems to be the case that we have stumbled upon a piece of music which is a good candidate for what is currently being hailed as ‘new-age,’ emo-esque music. Exactly what it is that ‘they’ (whoever they may be) mean when they refer to this genre of music is unclear, but what is blindingly obvious is that this music is (well, for me certainly) the new, well……. Nu-metal in all fairness, and I sincerely hope that it stays that way. So, shake of those old, creased up Linkin Park hoodies, which to be perfectly honest were far too big for you anyway, invest in some top quality garments at least two sizes too small and prepare yourself for the new revolution. Guys, get in touch with your emotional, feminine side, and girls lets give the weaker sex a break – boys have feeling too, apparently! Funny that. I always believed they were emotional cripples myself!!

Ok, enough of the ranting. Lets talk about the music.
Their music has been described as ‘12 emo – songs of power, noise and feedback’, which to be blunt it is. It was produced with the help of the legendary punk rock Bay Area recording engineer Kevin Army at the Roof Brothers Studios in Oakland and is their first album proper following a collection of other releases including a couple of EPs titled ‘Love Divine’ and ‘The Fallen’ on the absolutely sublimely named sex not suicide records!

This is definitely a very intelligently written album. Not perhaps in terms of the technical prowess employed, but with regard to the poise with which it is so cleverly executed. Intuitively you just know from the start that this album will never be the breathtaking, mind-blowing experience music can pertain to be, but nevertheless a lot of merit can be attached to its raw, grittiness, and the very fact that sometimes this is exactly the type of musical fix you need. Indeed, it is the no-frill punk-rock elements, with all their inherent simplicities, which could be argued to be its strongest feature!

The delivery is par excellence, blending the raw earthiness of the music with the sexy undertones of Elissa Daly’s striking voice. Think Justine Frischman with the ‘I don’t give a sh*t attitude of Shirley Manson, and you are half way there.

Apples might grow on trees, but talent like the Kumquats certainly doesn’t! Want to find out more? Just go to www.kumquat.info

Rocking or Shocking?
Rocking. 4/5. Success likely – kum quat may!