Like much of No Smoking, their debut album of last year, Stories Of God, My Finger And The Strange?also released on the local label set up by Elbow and I Am Kloot members?crams in a wealth of influences. Beefheart and Waits, particularly, continue to throw huge shadows, and there’s an experimental edge to the bone-jarring percussion and some thrilling harmonica-blowing from additional member Julian Gaskell. Best when keeping it natural (“Lost In The City”, “My Finger”), singer Scott Alexander needs to ditch the distortion and breathe his own air. The next record could be something very special.
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