The Hickey Underworld : 'The Hickey Underworld'
Released: 12th October 2009
Label: Naive Records
After doing much research into this grungy Belgian band, I took a look at some of their videos, a couple of their singles tracks and their website (www.thehickeyunderworld.com). But from what I saw and heard from their myspace my initial prejudicial thoughts were ‘this band are a bit weird’. And to an extent they are, but intriguingly there’s no hint of trying to be overly strange in this album.
Frontman Younes Faltakh’s gritty, droning voice opens the album with the track 'Zero Hour', accompanied with the post-hardcore sounds emanating from his bandmates hard beating drum and unearthing riffy guitaring. Immediately you get a sense of where the bands influences have come from, inevitably the grunge-esque scene of the early 1990’s.
The next best track on the album is edgy single 'Blonde Fire'. It has a feeling of intent and almost gives you an insight to the slightly unique world of Hickey Underworld.
Following track 'Zoroyda' kicks off with a resembling bassline that you would probably find in a Kings of Leon record. As the track concludes, an almost late 70’s sounding riff springs from the guitar, maybe akin to something The Jam would bang out, inducing a rather melodic ending. The band also show us that typical rock'n'roll status of really not giving a toss and doing what they wanna do, singing ‘lets stroll out of the city and be free’.
Former single 'Mystery Bruise' produces a New York indie dimension to the record, sounding like something Mr. Casablancas from the Strokes could have written and performed. A measured and assertive approach makes the song pleasurable but nothing groundbreaking.
But this is not what the band are about. They are just what they are, raucous and unnerving at times. It’s raw and gritty stuff…
The second half of the album is a bit of a disappointing missed opportunity. After the delights and forceful nature of the opening 6 songs, the only real flicker of light shown is the last song 'VRMNSMR'. It’s twangy guitaring somewhat reminds you of Metallica’s ‘I disappear’, just a bit lower in key! It’s an acquired and patient build up which allows the listener to wait for surely a huge explosion of bellow and noise…not quite. Shimmering/sliding guitars occur which give the album a safe send off. It’s good but you feel that something bigger and better should’ve been here.
All in all it’s not pretentious and it’s certainly refreshing to hear something slightly unusual but at the same time you know there’s talent in this record. It’s solid and eclectic with bounce and potency. It’s certainly worth forty minutes of your time.
Words: Sean Wright
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Reply #1 on : Mon January 02, 2012, 09:05:55