The Beat Surrender

Us Yorkshire folk are notoriously tight (not quite as bad as you Scots though) so it’s no great surprise that the latest indie sensations to emerge from the bourgeoing Leeds music scene have managed to give us a full length debut that wets the appetite but still leaves you wanting more at the end of it.

They manage to do this by squeezing twelve brash yet brilliant tracks into thirty five minutes of music, each one flies by at a frantic pace (with the exception of the intro to Can’t Control Myself) and give you some idea of the dizzying experience that is The Pigeon Detectives live. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them live twice now, both at home city gigs and as good as they are live, the key to their future will ultimately lay in what of that they can transfer to record.

The debut though does manage to capture the live feel, opening track and single from February Romantic Type gets things underway, it’s a pogo-tastic anthem that segues neatly into I Found Out. Just as Romantic Type is fading away they crash straight into the earlier single which deals with jealousy and rejection, it’s got a touch of glam rock to it (especially in the chorus) and maintains the furious, fantastic opening to Wait For Me.

Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye is more of the same as is Caught In Your Trap, the pace only relents slightly for the wonderful Can’t Control Myself, it starts off slower with a beautiful slide guitar sounding into, this though is only the calm before the storm and before you know it they are back into familiar territory with a crashing sing along chorus.

The one thing that will definitely get levelled at them is that they are a one trick pony and the songs are all similar in pace (the reason i’ve given it eight instead of higher), that said though what they do they do very well, every track on this album could easily be released as an album and you can’t say that very often. Time will tell if they can develop and grow as a band, but for now they should be enjoyed for what they are… a damn good band.

The first half of the album is completed by current single I’m Not Sorry which has just crashed into the charts at number twelve, a sure fire sign that the next time they tour they’ll be in much bigger venues than they currently play to. The second half continues where the first half left off, You Know I Love You, Stop Or Go, You Better Not Look My Way and the brilliant Take Her Back are again tracks that could be easily used for the next single.

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