Spring King - Tell Me If You Like To (Album Review)
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Written by Laura Johnson
Spring King began as the solo project of drummer and vocalist Tarek Musa around four years ago, but they have since evolved into a nearly unstoppable force as a full band. On their debut album, ‘Tell Me If You Like To’, they plot a course through their short history by repurposing several songs from their ‘Demons’ and ‘They’re Coming After You’ EPs amid new cuts that will fit nicely into their head-turning live sets.
Though partially comprised of previous releases, ‘Tell Me If You Like To’ has a strong sense of cohesion and is riddled with choruses that beg to be sung back to the quartet. It is as relentless as it is catchy, utilising massive hooks as vehicles for dark, heartfelt lyrics.
That balance is illustrated almost immediately on Detroit, where Musa sings: “I don't know what there is to do, I feel I'm breaking into two. No scales can balance out my destiny.” If you don’t tap your feet to this particular moment of existential dread, though, you’re probably dead inside.
Who Are You? follows the same winning formula, with Musa’s unstoppable beats paired with perfectly formed garage rock riffs. “Tonight I just wanna be somebody else, somebody new,” he sings. “Tonight, I just wanna be something that I can say is true.”
Later, on Take Me Away, he touches on a sort of bleak escapism while surrounded by chiming backing that recalls the Shangri-Las: “Darkness take me away, darkness show me where to run.”
With It’s So Dark also showcasing the band’s alt-rock leanings and Rectifier their mainstream appeal, Spring King have the bases covered on ‘Tell Me If You Like To’. Heaven ends things on a more sombre note, representing a welcome relief and moment of calm at the end of a riotous record. It’s the dawn chorus that marks the end of an enjoyable, exhausting summer all-dayer.
Spring King Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat October 08 2016 - COVENTRY Central Library
Mon October 10 2016 - EDINBURGH Electric Circus
Tue October 11 2016 - GLASGOW Stereo
Wed October 12 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Fri October 14 2016 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy 2
Sat October 15 2016 - SHEFFIELD Plug
Sun October 16 2016 - LEEDS Wardrobe
Tue October 18 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute3 Birmingham
Thu October 20 2016 - STOKE Sugarmill
Sat October 22 2016 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Sun October 23 2016 - OXFORD O2 Academy2 Oxford
Tue October 25 2016 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
Wed October 26 2016 - BRISTOL Thekla
Thu October 27 2016 - BRIGHTON Brighton Concorde 2
Fri October 28 2016 - LONDON KOKO
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