The Vultures Rebel Yelp EP By Michelle Dee

The Vultures still play hard, fast, punky rock n roll. However they appear to have changed since last year which apart from seeing them recently at Ringside with Break Even and Soulflame, I'm sad to say is when I saw them last. The days of playing a twenty song set in ten minutes are behind them, okay slight exaggeration but they did manage to fit a lot into a short space. Rebel Yelp the title track of their new CD starts with some big drums from the Darke one followed by a distinctive drawn out vocal from Chris. At times he has a certain public school boy affectation; every syllable elocuted to perfection.

Just listen to the way he says needy little gob-shite. The track reminds me of the Pistols song No Future with its southern drawl and manic laughter. There's a touch of seventies psychedelic swirly stuff thrown in for good measure. A good strong opener. Track two Smarten Up alternates from punchy chords to rock n roll riffs in a satisfying way. Dreadstepper is an altogether slower song and maybe because of the tempo the lyrics don't seem to fit together as well. The backing vocals are questionable too. However, managing to get the words distressed marionette on a punk rock record deserves a medal in itself. The Ballad of Sinead and Alex is a delight from start to finish. It meanders through different rhythm sections that compliment each other perfectly. Sinead's alto voice lends the song a touch of androgyny and contrasts well with Chris's deeper delivery. The drums are intentionally light and crisp; eminently listenable. I saw this one live but Sinead looked and sounded unsure of herself, in time though this number will undoubtedly become a special feature in The Vultures set list. The band also include an excellent cover of the Ska number Hooligan in the live set, which hits all the right notes and pushes the reggae vibe to the fore. I notice Alex the drummer is wearing a very fetching bowler hat. The band does have a bizarre theatrical side; the lead singer is known to sing some songs blindfolded for what reason I know not, but it's effective. Both Stormy Seas and The Plague return us to familiar spiky punk vulture's vibe. They have clearly grown and the music has grown and evolved with them. They produce songs that are vocally adept and infectious. A few horns might serve them well to just add another dimension to the otherwise accomplished sound. If you leave the CD running there is a little surprise in store; in some strange vocalising, something about gangsters and racketeering possibly. Given some airplay and a few well chosen gigs this offering from the The Vultures could really take off. Rebel Yelp is available from the band visit www.thevultures.co.uk for more details.

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