Stricken City - Lost Art Single Review

Single review of Lost Art by Stricken City

Mmm.

First, a history lesson. Those in their twilight years will remember a compilation tape (!) released by the NME in 1986 called, without much irony, c-86. Pulling together a clutch of the era's defining indie bands (When indie meant just that) and featuring amongst others Primal Scream, The Pastels and Half Man, Half Biscuit, it's impact is still felt now at a student disco near you.

Hence Stricken City, a new four piece from London that in lead singer Rebekah Raa have a soundalike for Bow Wow Wow's Rebeca Lwin (Ask your dad) and whose sound is more reminiscent of the guitar jangling shamblers which C-86 spawned - rather than the beer and cheap speed influenced fuzz of 2008's generation. They're getting rave reviews in a blog near you right now, but don't let that put you off, because as well as providing the antidote to small minds on big labels, their medicinal properties also stretch to helping you edge self consciously towards the sticky dancefloor.

Lost Art starts with cascading drum fills and Raa pleading 'I don't wanna be there, when they find us' - the 'they' presumably being Matt Bowman and/or Tom Clarke - before guitarist Iain Pettifer begins spinning a slightly understated but melodic chime which sounds more than a little like those old c-86ers themselves The Wedding Present. Heaven knows what Raa's on about, but her voice has a deftly mesmeric tone and an undertow that suggests a blistering PJ Harvey-esque scraw wouldn't be beyond it if you spilt her dandelion and burdock. Stricken City then; get them while they're hot, or better still before they sign to B-Unique, get lumbered with Stephen Street and end up sounding like The Long Blondes.

Andy Peterson