The Computers
‘Love Triangles Hate Squares’
www.thisisthecomputers.com
For a band to successfully ‘re-invent’ themselves is a tricky feat to pull off, but in the case of sharply-dressed Exeter quintet The Computers, ‘Love Triangles Hate Squares’ is less reinvention than evolution – and an impressive evolution at that.
The band have long had a love affair with garage-rock and surf, but on 2010’s ‘This Is The Computers’, these vintage sounds struggled to breathe under the onslaught of raging hardcore punk guitars and vocalist Screaming Al’s, er, screams. It wasn’t a bad record by any means – and made for some blistering live shows – but you couldn’t help but wonder if the band were capable of greater things.
Indeed, they were, and ‘Love Triangles…’ is the proof. Most of the aforementioned raging guitars n’ screams are gone, and in their place you’ll find rocking piano, smooth organ and some seriously soulful vocals. Make no mistake, the likes of ‘Selina Chinese’ and lead single ‘Disco Sucks’ boast enough firepower to get a dead donkey up and dancing, but it is the Motown-esque stomp of ‘Mr Saturday Night’ and the mournful ‘C.R.U.E.L’ will most likely stick in your head for longer.
The Computers of 2013 are all about the songs, and on ‘Love Triangles…’ they deliver them with the kind of swagger and showmanship that has been part of a musical lineage all the way from Elvis to Rocket From The Crypt. Oh, and we promise that if you go see them live, they will utterly SLAY you. Check out ‘Disco Sucks’ on the link below.
Alex Gosman