Drawing much of their influence from the countless indie rock acts who peppered the Britpop era, The Others brand of fuzzy punk rock is nothing we haven’t heard before. Like their contemporaries, they tread well worn territory and lyrically share the same naivety that was a signature of acts such as Northern Uproar, Lush and Echobelly. Their eponymous debut is filled with songs of anti-authority (‘Lackey’), drug abuse (‘How I Nearly Lost You’, ‘Darren, Daniel, Dave') and sticking to your roots (‘This Is For The Poor’, ‘Community 853’).
What sets them aside, though, is the rasping vocal of front man Dominic Masters. There’s no mistaking that he powers the band. Formerly employed in advertising, Masters is rapidly developing into something of an icon. Loud, confrontational, bi-sexual (he lives with his transsexual boyfriend), Masters has a penchant for guerrilla gigging and a reputation, like Pete Doherty, for being accessible to his fans.
Like Rotten, he can’t sing. Like Gallagher, his lyrics are throwaway. But, like those iconic figures, he has attitude in abundance to disguise any failings. Songs like ‘Lackey’, ‘William’ and ‘Stan Bowles’ are driven by yelps and vocal fills that are so illogical they make perfect sense in making no sense at all. Sometimes that’s what makes great rock ‘n roll, and while The Others have none of the poetic mastery of The Libertines, or the humour of The Futureheads, they do know how to write a good rock song.
A new Britpop revival is underway and with The Libertines seemingly out of comission, The Others may just be the band to lead it.