"Lo-fi" and "saxophones" don't necessarily go hand in hand. But somehow, both manage to coexist merrily on the debut full length by Waves of Fury, Thirst. Although the five-person group hails from England (Somerset, to be exact), Waves of Fury posses an unmistakably vintage U.S. soul sound - processed through an indie rock filter.
There are several reasons for the group's England-by-way-of-America sound - Waves of Fury toured the southern part of the U.S. prior to entering the recording studio, and lyrically, the songs were supposedly influenced by such classic American writers as Edgar Allan Poe. And this intriguing sonic cocktail is best sampled on such standout uptempo ditties as "Death of a Vampire" and "Businessman's Guide to Witchcraft."
Another interesting tidbit is that Thirst was recorded at none other than PJ Harvey's Bristol-based studio. But the most important thing is that Thirst sounds like very few modern day rock albums - something that should be commended in an era where unoriginality and copycat-isms run rampant. Picture a head-on musical collision between the Stooges via the Funhouse era and a Stax soul revue, and you're not far off from Waves of Fury's Thirst.
Staff Rating
4.00/5
User Rating
5/5
