Northern Ireland’s LaFaro are many things but top amongst their list of priorities is their determination to make one hell of a racket. This record is all about the serrated guitars and vocals walking the fine line between genuine singing and razor throated screams, all with a pleasing Northern Irish burr of course.
'Easy Meat' kicks off as it means to go on, with 'Full Tilt' plunging straight in at the deep end of dirty riffage. With a distinct air of early Therapy? noticeable from the beginning, it seems that these young upstarts are determined to make an impact in much the same way as that legendary band did all those years ago. There is a clear sense of humour on this album, which occasionally grates on some of the (slightly unnecessary) short filler cuts that make up a good third of the eighteen tracks on offer, but which is extremely pleasing on the likes of 'Sucking Diesel'. Any band that includes a spoken word breakdown that, to this reviewer’s ears at least, features the line “…but I don’t really dance to And So I Watch You From Afar” is hard to dislike.
There is certainly no shortage of character on display from LaFaro. Their punky racket would be stale and generic if it was not for the unique vivaciousness with which they deliver their finest moments, such as the slowed down 'Have a Word With Yourself' and the single 'Meat Wagon'. They even manage to convince with the acoustic balladry of 'Maudlin', closing things off in surprisingly affecting fashion. As Future of the Left seem to be taking an age with their new record it is fortunate that LaFaro have turned up to deliver the goods in their absence. For noise rock fans this album is like Christmas come early. Snap it up.
'Easy Meat' is out on 3rd October via Smalltown America records. LaFaro tour the UK from 24th September to 11th October.
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