If, like this writer, you have even the slightest affection for bands like Slumber Party, Allgirlsummerfunband, Heavens To Betsy and Bratmobile, then chances are you’ll adore Story Of Hair’s superb debut Cheap Rate. The two girl, two boy riot pop combo have crafted a record of catchy choruses (‘Yes/No Gameshow’) and spiky, snotty riffage (‘Friendly Games?’ ‘The Nod’) that harks back to the Olympia scene in the early ‘90s and should help them scale the ranks of the Irish music world in no time.
Not a single note is wasted on all fifteen tracks of Cheap Rate. Story Of Hair don’t fuck around with jazzy break-downs or pointless solos and instead keep hitting us with the good stuff (and by good stuff we mean tender melodies, jagged, razor-sharp guitars and enough spirited indie anthems to make them ones to watch come next year’s festival season). Steve Shannon’s sparkling and crisp production also deserves an honourable mention as he helps turn some songs that might in lesser hands end up sounding like sludge into well crafted, off-kilter diamonds in the rough (check ‘Myface’). As debuts go, Cheap Rate is one of the best in recent times and the punky stomp of ‘Dropdown’ is worth the price of admission alone.