Oxford quartet This Town Needs Guns sound like a cross between old Radiohead and new Incubus. It’s an intriguing twist that works quite well, even if it isn’t music that you would immediately think would fit in the ‘Punktastic’ genre. Should one ever exist. This three track demo is actually quite promising, complete with a steady vocal, clever guitars which soar and roar and melodies which collide quite nicely with some rougher edged parts.
Opener ‘This Is Wrong’ is possibly the most interesting track, twisting and turning like Radiohead circa ‘The Bends’, but without ever being as good. Obviously. Stuart Smith’s vocals do sound quite Thom Yorke-ish, and with the music passing off as Incubus on ‘They Speak With Strange Accents’, This Town Needs Guns could quite easily fit on the playlists of XFM or Zane Lowe.
This is a short review I know, but I think TTNG are a band that you should probably check out if you can. They seem to be young(ish) kids having a bit of fun and using their musical talents imaginatively – and that to me deserves a lot of credit. There’s no trend following, no clichéd screams and no pretence – this is just good music.
www.thistownneedsguns.com
Paul