Stereo, York
"How y'all doin'?" drawls Mazes singer Jack Cooper, sounding like he has just flown in from Illinois, with jet lag. The foursome might be British, but they look and sound eerily as if they have been blasted from early-90s America. Cooper sings in a languid US accent, while tattooed bassist Conan Roberts has the demeanour of a teenager whose parents have just asked him to mow the lawn. Mazes may share a bloodline with Dinosaur Jr and Pavement, but they also mix grunge and bubblegum pop, with Monkees-sized tunes and hooks big enough to feature on a fishing vessel.
Cooper introduces drummer Neil Robinson, prompting cheers when he adds, "He's single." Then says: "He's crashed the van three times this week." This slapdash, sunny bonhomie powers tunes from their recent A Thousand Heys debut, which have instantly memorable riffs and a guitar solo that sounds like bagpipes. The fizzing Summer Hits parties like its 1989, when they were "happy all the time" ? presumably in their cribs. Surf & Turf/Maths Tag depicts Cooper getting off trains and waving "like the Beatles at JFK".
It's not exactly Beatlemania in York, but shouts for an encore are long and loud. Mazes don't return ? apparently encores are "not punk rock" ? but if they can keep that van out of the scrap yard, we'll be seeing a lot more of them.
Julie Benz Saira Mohan Brittny Gastineau Ashley Tisdale Rachel Blanchard
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