Noise Arrangement Order EP
- Written by David J. Lownds
Noise Arrangement Order is the first limited edition vinyl release by BANJAXXED Recordings and features four bands described in the collection's press release as “Medway’s top rated noise slingers”. Frau Pouch’s ‘Exposo’ and then ‘Wife/Wife’ by KILL_RPNZL open the record, evoking weightier moments from the respective catalogues of Arctic Monkeys, Pixies and Queens Of The Stone Age. Both are complete with a great riff and great upbeat drumming, two things which help to make not just these songs but every composition in this short collection as good as they are. The latter song is reminiscent of the Wytches’ ‘Gravedweller’ single with its shrieked vocal during the chorus and appropriately heavy backing.
The weirdness doesn’t end there. It also permeates ‘Pigs In Blankets’ by Bear vs. Manero which in addition to giving us one of the craziest vocal performances of all time showcases some rather bizarre lyrics, and the performance includes the relentless thrashing of all instruments involved. It is basically a mentally unstable storm of a song, and is also one of the best songs about Christmas ever.
The EP wraps up with the rather gritty but quite Hendrixesque electric blues of Broken Banjo’s ‘African Child’, the chorus of which is based mainly on one hell of a riff. It also features the recurring, catchy refrain – “I hold my head up high / I wake up; I’m still alive”– amid truly depressing imagery. Some aforementioned elements of ‘African Child’ don’t really seem to go well together, but despite this apparent incongruousness it is still a great song.
Lo-fi noise comprised of nothing that can be traditionally described as ‘sweet’ and is essentially a ruckus that exhibits plenty of feedback and sonic dirt is not for everyone. Initially the production seemed a little too raw – with the vocal seemingly too quiet on the first songs –and the strangeness of the vocals, amongst other things, made Noise Arrangement Order puzzling. However, it was sometimes immediately compelling and its quality seems to grow with further listens. Perhaps it will be the Medway or Kent music scene what the Deep Six compilation was to the grunge movement that grew out of Seattle, Washington. We can dream.
Noise Arrangement Order is available now from the BANJAXXED Recordings bandcamp page here.