Tick tick tick go the motorik drums, as the bass chunders and guitar scratches. <Roz Davies’ vocal seduces and then suddenly yelps, as if to stir the listener from a peaceable listen.
Miss The Occupier’s debut is much in the spirit of female or female fronted acts – no, not Sleeper or Elastica, but more Au Pairs or The Slits, especially on the on title track of this seven-tune release.
The influences go back some way – ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ sports tinny Gary Numan-style keyboard, while ‘Your Fairytales’ considers lurching into Joy Division’s Disorder’ before starting with “Something in the way she moves”. George Harrison isn’t to be heard, however, while ‘When Engines Won’t Start’ has wonderfully scratchy guitar quite far removed from the Beatles.
It’s these litte points that make each of what might otherwise be farly perfunctory indie pop tunes something a little bit special. Take the simple but effective couplet “Join the gang – (GANG!) / Take my hand (HAND!)” as Occupierblokes Marcus and Ione belt out lusty backing vocals.
‘Rapture’ is unrelated to the Blondie tune of thr same name, but aptly is as funky as the bassline gets while ‘Wish Me Luck’ again offers spiraling guitar lines and synths borrowed from Ultravox circa 1979.
And that says quite a lot about this small but powerful collection – a strange mix of punk, electrpop, and some other ingredients chucked in that mean it’s one that works nicely.
