Glaswegian five-piece HOME$LICE return with their latest EP Young Creatives after cementing themselves as the trailblazers of a lo-fi scene which has been gathering momentum for several years now.
Opener ‘Come Up To Fade’ thrashes the record into life in proper old-school garage rock fashion; lead vocalist Josh McDowall howls like a youthful Julian Casablancas as melodic guitars and urgent drums race each other behind him and might well be an early contender for one of the best songs of the year.
‘Catcalls’ immediately follows in much the same fashion without even so much as a gasp for breath; McDowall’s anguish on show as he roars “I’m bleeding” on this ode to a lost lover.
Young Creatives has more of a gleam to its production than their previous releases, and this particularly benefits the closing two tracks – ‘Death Petal’ and ‘Out Of Sight’.
As a result, the band sound far more comfortable without any of the restraints that having a DIY ethos brings.
HOME$LICE still manage retain the edge that separates them from an ever-populated scene, however, they are evidently aware that their knack for a good melody deserves a wider, more commercial appeal.
An already incredible live show is set to get even better with the addition of such strong tracks to an already impressive arsenal.
Young Creatives is the sound of a band knowingly stepping up their game, and doing it with ease.
After several years on the fringes of breaking into the mainstream, it appears that HOME$LICE might just have finally cracked it.
Words: Graham McCusker
Rave Child 