The Beat Surrender

If you have a slightly dark heart and you like your music even darker then Guile are a band to watch out for. Unbelievably still unsigned, this four piece from the mining village of Cannock, Staffordshire are currently on a full UK tour and must put pen to paper soon after a wealth of A&R and management interest.

Having supported Neil’s Children and We Are Scientists, they were personally requested to support the excellent Howling Bells in Wolverhampton on the strength of their last release ‘Serendipity’ and have gone on to build a loyal fan-base.

The fact that Gavin Monaghan has taken them on board and produced three quarters of this cracking EP shows their potential. Monaghan, famous for his work with The Smiths, Cure and more recently Editors and The Twang has done wonders for Guile’s already sharp psyche-rock.

“Rock N’ Roll” starts proceedings. The incessant jangly and stuttering guitar is relentless, while Neal Sawyer’s vocal drawls like a cross between Bobby Gillespie and Jim Reid. “It’s not just old…Rock and Roll…” It certainly isn’t!!

“I Walk Alone” is the pick of a good bunch. Like Iggy Pop fronting The Velvet Underground, its menacing and hypnotic feel crawls along with a slow kick drum, dull thuds and droning harmonies. Jon Sawyer’s scaling guitar tails into a warped and twisted ending. “Love Around Here” is a stomp of a tune, with the heavy drum beat and Adam Shaw’s bass colliding perfectly into a rousing, riff heavy sway of darkness. “There’s just no love around here” I have to disagree.

Finally, “140 Hurts” is the only track not put down in Monaghan’s Magic Garden studio.
It’s a deep and brooding ballad with sliding guitar in the Primal Scream mould. A great EP from a band that just seem to be going from strength to strength and must soon get that obligatory deal.