Demo Parade

THIS WEEK'S batch of demos includes some by bands who have had my feet tapping in the past. Unfortunately, the results aren't always quite as captivating as first time round.

First up, Waterford's Freudian Slips, whose latest demo I would have reviewed weeks ago had it not been lost in my flat and only recently excavated in an ambitious dig. While it's well-produced and musically capable, the three new songs on this demo seem to lack the diversity and energy of those on the last tape. 'Revived' and 'It's Alright' are both very repetitive and too Emotional Fishy to have any real A&R appeal.

'Let It Come' is more original, with effectively sparse guitar work, but it's too long and a bit too radio rockish for my liking. The fourth track, 'Dream On', was on the last demo and reminds me now of everything I liked about that tape. A perfectly structured, slick, and catchy song with great charisma, 'Dream On' proves that the Slips are far more capable and creative than the other songs here indicate.

While I don't have any earlier World Spirit Mood recordings to compare this 'Sexy Christ' EP with, I did see the band perform an excellent gig at the Baggot a few months ago. While the demo has its strong points, namely 'Swallow', a Faith No More-ish hellfire of a song, in general it disappoints compared with live work. 'Come Play' is a bit over the top with lyrics to the effect that "It's a child's right to insanity, It's a child's right to kill whoever she pleases" and the lead vocals that are all over the place level-wise.

'Cream' opens with a brilliant sample ("Hello dear, how was your day." "The usual - crap." "Oh, I'm sorry.") but is very repetitious. If, however, the Limerick band's live capacity is a better barometer of their potential (and at this point in most band's careers I think it is), World Spirit Mood have the energy (not to mention the kind of wacko lead singer who is constantly in the audience's face) to cut it. More time in the studio should help.

Mahogony Men have similar difficulties capturing their live charisma on tape. The delivery of 'Hello How Are You I Am God' lacks conviction with the exception of the chorus. 'Drug of the Gods' improves dramatically on the first cut with a hick-ish fiddle, acoustic guitar and pseudo-rapping, but 'Emily Dickinson' uses the same 'Walk on the Wild Side'-y sing-speak approach with less success. Throughout, clever lines like "I knew a man who talked to himself and didn't tell anyone else" spice things up, and 'Unicorns (Do Not Exist)' is teasingly bluesy and thoroughly enjoyable. But unfortunately, anyone who hasn't seen the band live is unlikely to find anything special here.

Anyone who was at Sister Morphine's last jam-packed gig at the Rock Garden - one of the more brilliant gigs by an up-and-coming group in recent memory - would expect to find something special on their latest 'Work In Progress' tape, and will. To a fresh ear, you see, it might not sound so impressive, considering the home studio approach to the production. But overall, and lyrically in particular, this is some of the band's strongest work and it's a shame that it's not an actual EP.

It has its problems, of course. "Alice" is a bit choppy structurally; throughout much of 'Painted Horses' you're waiting for Bryan Adams to burst in singing "She says her love for me would never die..." in spite of the song's fantastic, swirling chorus; and a guardian angel in the form of a Cure/Echo and the Bunneymen lovechild occasionally seems to be sitting on guitarist Colin Murray's shoulder. But all told the band once again display both talent and style, while demonstrating that psychedelia can be kept under lock and key and used effectively on special occasions.

'Ether', the standout track of the five here, is a significant step forward for the band, who in the past haven't exactly reflected the widest range of emotional dynamics around, with its skilful climb to an explosive climax. The band, by the way, are in the market for a new manager. Interested parties should ring Colin at 943617.

And lastly, The Chill Babies who are less skilled in the climax department. The three originals here maintain a summery, upbeat feel but fail to really excite. 'Eleanora' is very early-'80s with great guitar work, but a dragging bass. 'Beaches', too, is upbeat and fairly generic and 'Bad Case (Love + Hate)' more of the same. Lyrics are okay but far from riveting, and musically there's nothing that really reaches out and grabs you. The tape ends with a cover of the Psychedelic Furs' 'Heaven', that somehow manages to be just as uneventful as the three songs it follows.