By naming themselves after the greatest record producer in history, this oomphy five-piece have huge boots to Phil
Hometown: London.
The lineup: Fred Macpherson (vocals), Christopher Burman (guitar), Thomas Shickle (bass), Jed Cullen (synth, guitar), Danny Blandy (drums).
The background: Spector: they're kind of asking for trouble calling themselves that, aren't they? A bit like that 80s hard/jazzcore band fronted by Wire magazine favourite Kevin Martin, God, or Brilliant, that other 80s group with a superlative, begging-for-a-kicking name. If you title yourself after the greatest record producer in history, one with a reputation for the magnificent and grand, with probably the most recognisable signature sound in pop, you've put yourself under pressure from the start.
Now, you may be expecting us at this point (otherwise known as the Debunking Paragraph, in which we refute the proposition of the introduction ? in this case that the band need to be amazing and great to match the ambition suggested by their name) to announce that Spector don't live up to their own self-hype. But operating under the maxim that if you haven't got anything nice to say about someone, say nothing, and in our new capacity as concert organisers with one ear on how a band will come across live, we're going to praise Spector. They may not have a River Deep, Mountain High in their set just yet, let alone a Baby I Love You or a I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine. But they have plenty to recommend, not least a frontman who has pretensions towards the foppish literacy of a Jarvis and musicians striving to frame those lyrics in a suitably epic context. They're hardly the Wrecking Crew, they don't have that commitment to detailed bombast, and there are no strings or horns. But for a five-piece unit they make a decent fist of giving Fred Macpherson's wordy navel-gazing ("My self-esteem is at an all-time low") an impressively oomphy backdrop.
Still only 23, Macpherson has already been in two bands, neither of which registered on our radar: Les Incompetents and Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. We know their names but never checked them out, so we don't know what they sounded like. Spector are being pitched, it is said, as "somewhere between Roxy Music and the Strokes, the Killers and Kanye West, Pulp and R&B and Frank Sinatra". Good to aim high, of course, but that's just silly. That said, we can hear the Killers amid the blustery choruses. The single, Never Fade Away, has the portent of a Killers track: portentous sound, portentous vocals, as though to convey the idea that they are talking about Important Stuff. We're not sure about the Roxy and Kanye references, but to us this one sounds like Ultravox with Beach Boys harmonies, if you can get your head round such a clash of opposites.
Chevy Thunder is indeed thunderous, with a lyric about wanting to "take your father's car and drive, drive, drive" that is pure Springsteen worship. Celestine is also Boss-y: imagine Bruce if he'd fronted a mid-80s synth-pop band. We're not sure what Grey Shirt & Tie is about ? we wish we had a rock equivalent of Rap Genius to use today because we can't work out if this is a paean to something, a lament to lost youth, or a dart aimed at conformists. Still, its keen sense of drama renders comprehension less than essential. Finally, Lay Low ? sadly, not a cover of the My Morning Jacket guitar apocalypse ? sees them bring on the strings. It's not the full-on assault you might get from THE Spector, but it's a start, and it would certainly work on a small stage in a discreet London venue (hint, hint).
The buzz: "Fred has really hit his stride" ? My Band's Better Than Your Band.
The truth: They'd be perfect for the next New Band of the Day night ? AND they don't wield handguns.
Most likely to: Be murderous onstage.
Least likely to: Commit murder.
What to buy: Never Fade Away is released by Luv Luv Luv on 20 June.
File next to: Hockey, Pulp, My Life Story, Arcade Fire.
Links: youtube.com/watch?v=bYE_aknCy_c.
Friday's new band: Young Dreams.
Jennifer ODell Jenny McCarthy Zooey Deschanel Tara Reid Coco Lee
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