Progress Reform – the band’s first mini-album – features two of the band’s previous releases, Terra Nova and A Rook House For Bobby, as well as five other tracks of intellectual, darkly uplifting sonic exploration. Those dismissing the band’s decision to wear British Rail uniforms during their live performances as a blithe gimmick would do well to re-think. In fact, it’d be taxing to find a band that take their craft as seriously as iLiKETRAiNS. Terra Nova tells of Captain Scott’s doomed 1912 Antarctic expedition, while A Rook House For Bobby depicts the life of Bobby Fischer, the troubled chess grandmaster who ended up joining an apocalyptic cult and had the fillings removed from his teeth in case they influenced his behaviour, before being arrested, imprisoned and arriving in Iceland as a reclusive exile. In four-and-a-half minutes, Simon Fogel’s drums punch the stomach, while David Martin’s lyrics tear at the heart. Elsewhere, Citizen is a jangling mess of distorted guitars and thumping drums and Martin’s threatening lyrics on Stainless Steel («Don’t go in the kitchen, that’s where all the knives are kept and I won’t be held responsible») are masked by gentle, affecting guitars. At the close of Progress Reform lies The Beeching Report, a track which features iForwardRussia!, Napoleon III and This Et Al on backing vocals as some sort of iniquitous choir. Leeds can claim ownership to perhaps the most exciting music scene in the country at the moment, and with Progress Reform, iLiKETRAiNS can probably claim to be the city’s most exciting band.
Tracklisting:
1 TERRA NOVA (4:59) // Producer, Mixed By – Dan Austin
2 NO MiLiTARY PARADE (3:27) // Cello – Lucy Deakin // Recorded By – Nathaniel Chan // Violin, Viola – Helen Clarke
3 A ROOK HOUSE FOR BOBBY (4:43) // Cello – Alex Housden // Violin – Jasmin Hollingum
4 CiTiZEN (3:02)
5 THE ACCiDENT (3:02) // Recorded By [Drums] – Dan Austin
6 STAiNLESS STEEL (8:19) // Cello – Lucy Deakin // Violin, Viola – Helen Clarke
7 THE BEECHiNG REPORT (4:42) // Backing Vocals – iLiKETRAiNS Choir, The // Cello – Alex Housden // Violin – Jasmin Hollingum
Label: Fierce Panda
Catalog#: nong43cd
Format: CD, Mini-Album
Country: UK
Credits: Engineer – Daniel Skevington (tracks: 3 to 7) // Mastered By – Dave Blackman // Written-By, Producer, Mixed By – iLiKETRAiNS
Genres: newgaze / dream pop / post-rock
Links: Official Website || @MySpace || @Last.FM || @Wikipedia || @Discogs
Bitrate: VBR
Download: @InfoStore [UA-IX] || @IFolder [RU] || @MegaUpload
Grade: 10/10
Голос бесконечно усталый, с хрипотцой и болью. Музыка благородная (со звонкими гитарами, стенами звука, струнными, фортепианными, духовыми, хоровыми акцентами) – насколько такой эпитет можно применить к коллективу «гейзеров». Но действительно – эти звучат (да и выглядят) по-джентельменски, не как гаражные рокеры, прожигатели жизни. И настроение их мне близко и понятно. И я и дальше, видимо, буду отбирать подобное по духу. Никаких Asobi Seksu и иже с ними. (См. их лайв-фото на оф-сайте – красавцы)
“there will be no military parade
in memory of my name”
“and if they find me
let them indict me
i just don’t care
anymore
they’ve pushed me too far
too far”
“you did me wrong
and now it’s time
to put things right
i need you like i need
a hole in the head”
