The Randoms - The Randoms

There's something almost comforting about the recognizably sound of just vocals, bass, guitar and drums. This is real urban music made by kids from the streets, venting all of their frustrations into their lyrics and their turbulent adventures into songs that people can acknowledge. A soundtrack to their lives that caters for periods of time when a song you can connect with can make you feel so much better and that you're not the only person in the world feeling lost and alone. All this and more applies to the Randoms whose debut album is produced by Johnny Kettle.

"Freak Out" has the bluesy rock template which is familiar with bands like Reef and more recently "The Busted with balls" teenyboppers Rooster. There's heavy rock moments too with a vocal which is undisputedly English and thank god we're not subjected to another English band singing with an mid Atlantic twang. The riffs come quicker than a horny teenage with premature ejaculation and you can bounce around the room like a loon to this good time band who naturally want to let us know that "we're gonna freak out". If the Randoms were after an energetic, live sound that evokes the euphoria of their gigs then mission accomplished.

"Her Majesty's Lizard Crew" has the Brit wit and clever observationally savvy of My Life Story's fine dandy Jake Shillingford. The lyrics use Royalty as a metaphor for the narcissism of shallow inhabitants which litter the provinces. "Everybody knows her name, nobody quite knows her game" our gutsy frontman Greg Random notifies us on this sexually curious composition. A torrent of 50s rockabilly and the dark dank feel of the Bad Sees with an edgy guitar sound all feature on "Dirty Tricks". Three chords, sharp, simple and sinister in a random (sorry bad joke) manner cranks up the volume, making on hell of a pleasing racket. "Two Stripe Trainers" is a leisurely ballad with an unsuspected heavy bass and establishes a less obvious and susceptible excellence to this rum bunch. The guitars chime like the Zutons, but without the Stoner motif. It has a surge of heart on it's sleeve sentiment.

The Randoms album is a kick up the arse to the music executives to get off their flabby arses and visit small venues on the toilet circuit and check out the fresh exciting talent just waiting to be discovered.

Nicholas Paul Godkin

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Check out the Randoms yourself at www.purevolume.com/therandoms