Play 90 second soundbite of 'Listen To My Screaming Whisper' @ 'CD quality'
Anyway, "Surely this can't work" I thought as I scanned their biog etc. But, once again surprisingly, it sort of does!! The 8 Valve can belt out a sort of churning cement mixer compound made up of 2 of rock, 1 of punk and 1 of blues. The sticky foundation material that is then ejected from the mixer is actually pretty impressive if a little rough around the edges. This is a pretty up-front, wild and out there rave that really defies all musical logic.
Between them, The 8 Valve Can, lay down some solid sounding stuff on 'Album One...'. I'm sure you already get the idea that this innovative duo aren't all wrapped up in cotton wool with light fluffy edges. The 8 Valve Can almost abuse their privileged position to the point where it just has to work. Certainly the punchy guitars are massively supported by the heavily influential drums. Vocally Willison isn't the greatest singer in the world but it seems somehow to work out pretty well for him. This is downright dirty rock that just shouldn't be let loose on an unsuspecting public. However, as I listen I can feel and almost taste the pure adrenalin fuelled energy that The 8 Valve Can discharge from their twin cylinders. What's bloody well goin' on here - this shouldn't be happening! And, that I'm sure, is the crux of the thing. The 8 Valve Can are defying rock 'n' roll tradition, hitting back at musical normality , stamping their bloody great size 9's all over the industry guidelines - and doin' a bloody good job of it!!
So, instrumentally these guys have to get pretty high marks - just for sheer guts and determination. Vocally they just manage to pull it off. Lyrically I'm left a little puzzled, slightly bemused and a little unsure; quirky - they certainly are; metered - they just about make it all fit in, but are they serious? I think they are!!
No matter how many words I try to put down about The 8 Valve Can's 'Album One...' I'll never be able to completely get across the power, originality and self-belief of these guys - you'll just have to try it on for size. If it fits, all well and good. If it doesn't then I'm sure it won't matter because logic says that The 8 Valve Can shouldn't fit anyway.
'Album One...' is an interestingly challenging twelve (no wait, thirteen) tracks of blatant originality with big rock 'balls' and attitude that sticks its fingers up at musical convention - a gets away with it!
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