Following their formation in Bristol more than half a decade ago, Scarlet Rascal were eventually signed by Invada: a record label set up by local musician Geoff Barrow (Portishead). The southwestern metropolis is tied to its dance roots and trip-hop legacy though, which inevitably leads to a non-existent guitar scene. Scarlet Rascal have used this to their advantage and created a condensed record of hazy sonic textures, driving guitar and motoric reverberations; finding themselves alone in an exclusive avenue of krautrock tinged post-punk.

“We wanted to make something concise. We recorded a lot of songs for this album but kept trimming them off until it felt like one thing”, said frontman Luke Brookes. This is evident throughout the eight tracks, which are characterised by repetition, tense rhythms, and an abrasive guitar-driven sound underpinned by the singer’s deadpan tone dishing out personal, and often cryptic wordplay.

The four piece’s attachment to melody is never in question though, with the rolling soundscapes always lying within a hub of melodic guitar work from Richard Clarke. The deliciously catchy six note riff from recent single ‘Strange’ being a distinct example of this; taking a back seat for large parts of the track, it sporadically enters the fray before becoming the lifeblood of the composition. Much like the obvious influence to ‘Marquee Moon’, ‘Strange’ is the third in a trilogy of shorter, hook-driven songs that initiate proceedings. The first of those, ‘Pearl’, is one of the standouts and employs a Peter Hook style bass line from James Stockhausen which provides the framework for the swirling sonic wave of distortion to take hold, which ‘Woland’ promptly pursues in a similar vein.

With Brookes’ spoken word and drummer Maya Indelicato’s tender vocals, ‘Here I Am’ offers welcome composure before the listener is urged back in with ‘Venus’. Slightly longer than the single version, the final two minutes of the album incarnation marries razor sharp guitars with the ceaseless charm of the rhythmic pair, setting a precedent for the final stages. ‘Sleep Take Me Down’ then echoes early Velvet Underground before penultimate track ‘Blood Orange’ brings the LP back to life as the inevitable future single release.

However, the four piece save the best till last with the elongated ‘Doolittle’ esque track Last Day. Clocking in at over six minutes, the bass guitar and drums initially glide along at an unassuming pace as Brookes attempts to muster the strength to ignite some vocal delivery. All the while, delicate strumming patterns arrive at irregular intervals leaving the listener in a unnerving state of flux and craving for an intense crescendo. This assuredly comes in the form of a dark, industrial soundscape of piercing textures. It is the song that could only ever act as a climax to a record or the finale of a gig.

Everything about the album is minimal within its essence: the photography, the title, the length, the song names, the colour choice, the artwork. Scarlet Rascal want these eight recordings alone to form the opinion you make of them and they’ve done a stupendous job in doing so. With Savages invested in the late 70s Siouxsie era of post-punk and Soft Moon concerned with the gothic, industrial corner, Scarlet Rascal’s debut cements their position as the chief component in the potent Germanic, melodically inclined territory. “When you play together for a while you tend to form a similar set of ideas of what you want to do by doing it, or if that doesn't happen then you just stop”, stated Brookes. Here’s hoping this doesn’t transpire with Scarlet Rascal.
Paul Hill

Website: scarletrascal.com
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