Leeds band The Voltaires are doing very well for themselves indeed with some big
supports (Young Heart Attack, We Are Scientists) and a handful of student union gigs.
Opening track Anti-Love is a punky romp with Hives inspired vocals, Razorlight-esque "L-O-V-E"
lyrics and a stop-start guitar sound found in many a smoky venue up and down the country.
Clocks starts like Slade's 'Coz I Luv You', with the chuggy guitar also reminiscent of The Clash.
The vocals sound more like James Skelly than anyone else and The Coral are perhaps the best comparison
for both the stop-start, toe tapping rhythm and the sea-shanty harmonica that appears later in the track.
Last track Automatic is a mid-paced affair that showcases the talents of both band and singer –
the former sounding uncannily like AC/DC and the latter equal parts Hives, Coral and Graham Coxon and
together producing something in the same ball park as Jet.
Each song is decent enough but one suspects that it's the vocals that have taken the band this far –
the band themselves are more than competent but the voice just sounds very now, like a more serious
Art Brut and fitting in nicely with The Rakes et al. It’d be nice to see the band push on from the
positive start they've had and add another string to their bow before the musical climate changes and
they're left out in the cold.