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Recording:
  Everyone Out ... Shark In the Water  
 
Artist:
  FM Bats  
 
Label:
  Vinyl Dog  
 
Release Date:
  17.May.2005  
 
Reviewed by:
  Indoor Miner  
         
 
Rating:
   
         
 
Review:
 

Straight away I'm impressed. A scuzzy guitar, a foghorn bellow and a dirty, swampy sound that reminds me both of the little known The Gories and their splendid Alex Chilton produced album I Know You Fine, But How You Doing, and to give a more contemporary slant, a less polished Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In fact, I liked opening track 18 Is Dying so much on first listen that I was worried. What if this suddenly changed direction into something I didn't like, or the FM Bats, whoever they might be, couldn't keep up this momentum? Let me assure you, folks, I would have been seriously disappointed, because 18 Is Dying is that good.

Luckily I'm not disappointed, because this EP is great from start to finish. All You Do Is Jerk is a fab little toe-tapping number, with a classic guitar riff over a stomping beat and Young Man's Glory, Old Man's Rules has a great growling bass riff and a rant that reminds me of Spizz Oil's ancient 6000 Crazy single. There's Only One Captain On This Ship, a slowie with an almost Talking Heads feel, ends as suddenly as it starts, but Cat's Brats Theme finds the singer sounding furious on a song that (bizarrely considering the geography involved) mines a similar direction to Manchester's Black Basque. To end matters, we get Sinking Ships Of the Adult Lips with its more melodic guitar and basslines and finally, the title track, which is a real belter as they yell out that warning that never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

Everybody Out...Shark in the Water.

I don't know anything about this band, except they're on a California label, and that when I googled them they seem to have split reviewers right down the middle. But in case you hadn't guessed, I love them!! Seven tracks. Nine minutes. Sometimes things are best said quickly. And this is the best thing I've heard since the last best thing I heard.

Excellent…

 
         
 
Related Links:
 

See more information about FM Bats at www.tkorecords.com

 
         

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