How Punch and the Apostles are unsigned is a mystery because this demo EP is absolutely brilliant. Lead singer Paul Napier has already released a fantastic debut solo album ‘Stuttering Hand’ and formed the band with Rory Hayejahans and Doug Macgregor last year.
In the space of 4 songs they manage to cover a variety of styles from blues to punk to funk with some great brass sounds added in for good measure. Opener ‘Come Back to Me’ starts off sounding like someone having a fit (it works) and builds up to a fantastic piece of chugging guitar, then there’s the brass sounds swinging alongside it. All in all it would be great for pogoing to at a gig.
‘Can of Beans’ starts out sounding like a 70’s funk track and ends up in a cacophony of sound, which reminds you of free-form jazz. Then there’s the fierce delivery of ‘Pickin’ Stuff off the Sidewalk’, which mixes an early rock n roll sound with punk.
Closer ‘Daniel in the Lions Den’ is a blues inspired song, reminiscent of the best of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The vocal delivery on this one is almost primal.
So there you have it, four songs, many styles, probably one of the best new bands in the country and yet no label. Someone sign them up now because anyone who hears this will be left wanting more.
//Gordon Neil