The Sinclairs – Sparkle

What kind of music will we be listening to post lockdown?

As we emerge from our cacoons and our routine of one walk a day will we want something slow and dramatic? Or will want something fast and furious to reflect our new freedom? Will we go back to the future and crave sci-fi B-movie style synths?

I like to think the answer may well be all three, which is exactly what is on offer in the debut from The Sinclairs, formed by Damned drummer Rat Scabies and Jesse Budd, aka Billy Shinbone, from Flipron and guitarist with Neville Staple’s band.

Armed with his trusty Gretsch, Budd’s picking, reverb and tone is on top form here and works well with Scabies’ punk nouse and drum pounding.

This instrumental though is not just another Ennio Moricone tribute album, its got a New Wave twist too with added electronica. This places it firmly in the sci-fi soundtrack territory that the early B-52s achieved. This is especially in reference to their ‘Duane Eddy on Mars’ guirarist, the late great Ricky Wilson and his uniquely tuned surf’s up Mosrite.

There’s lots to like here, especially the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion-like Lipstick Rumble. Rat’s drums are particularly pounding here.

For the more guitar twang numbers then opener La Venta sets the scene well. Half Way Round Your Dreams is another guitar high point – odd, quirky and Western.

Meanwhile, Plimpton 322 is for those that love a spooky sci-fi theremin.

Could this be the soundtrack for our odd Covid-19 lockdown times as well as being a post pandemic party album? I’m probably spending too much time indoors and my brain is becoming warped, but I’m very much in the mood for some science fiction meets the harsh reality of a Western film plot.

8/10

More information about The Sinclairs can be found here.

by Joe Lepper

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