A curious beast, the extensively populated musical outfit. More often than not, they specialise in the expansive and the epic, employing a bewildering array of instrumentalists that produce a layered mosaic of soundscapes. Though not entirely confined to the post-rock enclave, bands of more than six members invariably tend to stretch out their legs, let their tracks meander at their own free will, and punctuate their opuses with various dots, loops and glitches to wondrous effect.
With that, the Do Me Bad Things’ debut album is – Sweet Jesus and the baby angels – nothing short of a glorious confusion. Of the nine members of the Croydon-based band, five are vocalists and four actually play the instruments. Of course, while this means that no one instrument is ever really vying for attention, the overall effect is not dissimilar to Beck, Scissor Sisters, Nirvana, Kate Bush and Beyoncé all battling for one microphone in a rather cramped soundbooth. Still, it’s not as uncomfortable sounding as you might think.
Anyway, if you thought that every permutation of sound, style and genre had been attempted thus far, you dear reader, are sorely mistaken.
In all, YES! is an unexpected joy, a heady, discombobulating cocktail of rock opera, obstinate punk and feel-good dance vibes. Ignore, if you will, the fact that Do Me Bad Things were ‘discovered’ by the same people that ‘discovered’ The Darkness. For all its calorific riffing and Rocky Horror-esque psychedelia, the true beauty of this record is its newness (as opposed to the novelty) factor. ‘Liv Ullman On Drums’ (featuring, bizarrely, Tom Shotton on drums) is an incredible ragout of ‘70s cop show theme music with hair metal, while ‘Time For Deliverance’ is a spine-tingling AC/DC inspired-Broadway musical number.
It’s all too easy to get preoccupied with the unlikely, confusing marriages on YES!, but at the heart of the album, ultimately, is a fine ear for a niggling pop tune. This debut may be impossible to define, but it’s a damn easy record to get lost in. YES! indeed.