EP REVIEW: Wild Spelks – A House Full Of Strangers (self-released)
Wild Spelks is the musical vehicle of Newcastle-based songwriter/musician/producer Jonathon Sabiston, and, after a series of standalone singles, this is their first EP.
Taking inspiration from the likes of The Menzingers and Grandaddy, every song on this five-track slice of melodic punk could easily be a single in their own right.
All the songs were written and performed by multi-instrumentalist Sabiston in his spare bedroom, and produced by engineer Chris McManus (Pit Pony, Du Blonde).
It opens with They’re Gonna Get You, a jaunty song full of beefy riffs about voices in your head which reminds me a lot of US emo-pop-rockers Jimmy Eat World.
Next up is lead single Help Myself, a joyous-sounding but lyrically melancholy reflection on substance abuse and its catastrophic effects on relationships and friendships.
Happy & Healthy seems to be a cry for and promise to help as Sabiston sings: “Happy and healthy but shaking all the time/You see straight through me so tell me what is on my mind.“
Take It From A Friend, also a single, reminds me of Alkaline Trio, with its infectious riff and earworm chorus. And is that some trumpet I hear in there?
The best is saved ’til last; Getting The Band Back Together Again recalls good times playing music with friends, with the creative process almost doubling as therapy.
There’s a real Menzingers feel to the earworm chorus, which goes: “Distortion fizzes in my ears/I’ll play this song for a hundred years/I’m getting the band back together again/I knew we would in the end.” Great stuff.
House Full Of Strangers is available digitally, on very limited edition CD, cassette and vinyl from Wild Spelks’ Bandcamp page HERE.
Wild Spelks aren’t just a studio project; Sabiston also does full-band gigs with a revolving line-up of musicians from North East bands such as Them Things, Sam Fender, The Welcome Party and Holy Moly & The Crackers. On the strength of this EP, I hope to catch them live soon.
