Spring King
‘In All This Muck and Dirt’
(unsigned)
Spring King make raw, scuzzy garage pop with a twist. Their debut album, In All This Muck and Dirt is not just any old lo-fi jingle jangle, each track is radically different from the next. The Springsteen-esque motoring of ‘Better Man’ is a total contrast to the piano led, ballad like ‘Heat of The Summer’ but this totally works. The vocals of Tarek Musa keep this ship on course; his flow feels relaxed and natural, easing you into the pop magic, in the same way as Craig Dermody of Scott and Charlene’s Wedding does.
‘Drummer Girl’ is so shiny and summery you need to listen to it wearing sunglasses. And what follows is something quite unexpected. The 80’s organ warble on ‘My Sleeves’ comes with an unexpected trumpet solo creeping into the mix, having its own jazzy freak-out amidst the guitars. It’s not all Miles Davis though, single ‘V-V-V-Vampire!’ is a scruffy punk ditty full of guitar grit and thrashing drums.
Musa is the brains behind this operation, responsible for the recording and mixing of all the tracks on In All This Muck and Dirt as well as writing all the songs too. His talents are also spread across other bands, namely the indie vibes of Kankouran, another triumph for Musa, writing and recording all the songs himself.
With allegedly over 50 more tunes in the bank, Spring King are a well-oiled, garage pop producing machine. Surprisingly the five piece are still unsigned, recording and releasing everything they do themselves, online, with no visible help from any industry folk. Surely it’s only a matter of time before these guys cut a deal and get a record pressed. Watch this space.
Dave Palmer