The notion of a ‘local band’ is one that can make or break a young group’s dreams of the big time. Build up too much of a hometown fanbase and it’s easy to get landlocked, spread yourself too thinly nationwide and you run the risk of being forgotten. Darlings of the Cardiff scene for years, Samoans built their backyard name on jarring, early-Biffy-esque math-rock – a genre they have long since fallen out of love with. The Samoans of 2014 are far more Deftones than Dad Rocks!, their twiddly past now overshadowed by their gargantuan, stadium-bothering present, and with them they bring both a newfound determination to break free of their locality, and ‘Rescue’ – a record which should take them every step of the way.
Written after vocalist and guitarist Dan Barnett broke his back at the tail end of 2012, ‘Rescue’ is not only a record of recovery but also one of reinvention, epitomised through opener ‘Tightrope Walker Complex’’s slow development from a soft harmonic number into a climax of defiantly screamed vocals and gargantuan guitars.
This theme of resilience threads throughout the remaining tracks, but manifests itself in a myriad of different ways. ‘The Moth’ is a metallic, Reuben-esque assault, but nestles itself comfortably alongside ‘Give Me A Place To Stand And I’ll Move The Earth’ – a more delicate and twinkling instrumental offering. A standout comes in the form of ‘I Am Your Density’, a dream-like epic which builds itself around a lolloping bassline and washy cymbal work.
‘Dancing On The Sealion’, a song which has finally solidified its shape after a few shaky initial live airings, is a far superior offering on record; a fragile number which feels set to disintegrate at any moment, but insistently holds its own throughout its numerous tempo changes and jittery drum fills. It is also perhaps the best indicator of the band’s evolution. The new Samoans are an expansive, cinematic outfit, but never once lose sight of their experimentalist past, continuously pushing their boundaries and defying categorisation.
Considered and cathartic, ‘Rescue’ is the record Samoans have always hinted at, and one that should finally free them of their Cardiff confines. As dates with Kids In Glass Houses and No Devotion currently slot into the band’s calendar, their wings are already beginning to spread. Don’t miss their ascent.
TOM CONNICK