Formed in 2021 by Simon Waller (guitar/vocals), Neovenator released their first EP in 2022. When I realised that had been produced by JC Carroll of The Members I must admit I smiled as here is a group which is taking us back to that time just after punk when bands like The Members, The Jam, The Vapors and others were producing rock music which was fiercely independent and refusing to conform while also including pop hooks and daft backing vocals while the lead singer was not all that sweet. The rest of the gang are Pete ‘in black’ Walter (bass /backing vocals), Tony ‘Bontempi’ Dyson (keyboard and atmospheres) and Phil Neo Humphreys (drums) and if he were alive I can imagine Ian Dury sat in the front row at gigs with a massive smile on his face while Ray Davies point out just how similar they are to what The Kinks were doing in the Sixties. Somehow, there is also a feeling of Hawkwind about them, yet what permeates throughout is the honesty of what they are doing and the understanding they will never be allowed to mix with those “Effing Bohemians” who feel they are so much better than everyone as they read The Guardian.
There is nothing pretentious about this, it is Blur with the middle class knocked out of them, working class music for the masses which is bloody good. It is garage rock, pub rock, with elements of psychedelic here and there, and feels so very, very English indeed. This is not something aimed for the radio or success across the Atlantic but is four guys out to make a racket in a pub and for everyone involved to have the time of their lives. Want to jump up and down and shout? Then join in on “Politics Is War – Politics Is Art”, or scramble along to the high energy “We’ve Got Killers” where they say they play punk rock, and a little bit of ska too.
Music often takes it far too seriously, here is a band who want to show you it is okay to have fun at a gig, and if you get this you can recreate that feeling in your home. This is an album to make the listener to smile from beginning to end.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/neovenator.band.uk/
https://www.flickniferecords.co.uk/
