Urges and purges

It’s all very well being youthfully brash and brimful of attitude, but do you have any songs? Well, actually, The Spikes have loads of them. Some we’ve enjoyed already as singles and some we meet on this, the debut album by the lads from Dublin whose influences run the gamut from The Who to The Zutons by way of The Doors, The Stones et al.
The anthemic, and eminently danceable ‘Hypnotised’ kicks it off with a dash of Editors fuelled by robust percussion, crunching guitar riffs, a nod to The Doors in the melody and shouty hooks. The soaring ‘Wearing Rain’ is a glorious riff-fest, and the equally hook-laden ‘Monster’ is as cocky and sinister as when it first emerged, driven by a sparse gutsy rhythm, and a hint of The Zutons about it. ‘In Love No More’ has more of that Doors strut plus Stonesy guitars and vocals. ‘Painted In Gold’ is deliciously cheesy, all restless rhythms, woo-woos and handlcaps, while the surging ‘Guess Again’ turns up the temperature and throws in some demented vocals. ‘Smug Little Kiss’ blends The Stones with the Who so you never want it to end.
Vocalist Tom Dunne is splendiferous all the way, propelled by the exceptional guitaring of Gareth Lewis. There once was a time when Irish bands made a damn fine noise but didn’t quite get around to writing noteworthy songs. Not any more.

Key Track: 'Monster'