Into Music: New Music May 2025
Not entirely satisfied with how those albums sounded, vocalist Kirk Brandon and band have re-recorded the majority of the tracks released here as the double album, Janus. Interestingly, some tracks miss out, such as the radio friendly single Was That You? from Outlands and that’s no bad thing as we see the introduction of the likes of Pumpkin Man and Soldier Soldier, the latter with added verse.
The sound is as fantastic as you would expect, the band around Brandon have been performing together for what must be going on 20 odd years so they know the songs. Janus is the Roman God who looks in two directions, looking both back and forward and that is a sense you get here. The guitar from Adrian Portas and saxophone from Clive Osborne elevate some tracks and there is real depth here, like a full bodied glass of Montepulciano, too be taken slowly and savoured. Brandon’s voice remains at the top of his game, still capable of hitting the high notes, Strangers In Our Town being a prime example, supplemented by Phil Martini’s rolling drums.
For more on Janus and Spear of Destiny, head to the website here.
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Formed out of the city’s College of Art, the name is a bit of a misnomer, the band wanting to sound a little tougher than they actually were. That DIY vibe is definitely of its time, the band not initially having their own equipment but were helped out by the likes of Jesse Garon & the Desperados and being produced by Douglas Hart of The Jesus & Mary Chain.
There’s no messing about here, each track less than two minutes, I’ll Kill That Girl is perhaps the pick of the bunch. If you like post-punk garage girl-pop with a slice of psychedelia, this is the record for you. The Vultures may not have been around for long but this EP encapsulates the band having the time of their lives, fantastic!
To order The Vultures EP, head to the Precious Recordings of London Bandcamp page here.
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The track is apparently inspired by a night out in Kuala Lumpur and is laden with sparkle, glitter and pulsing keyboard bites. Speaking of the track, Belly from the band said “It was my first time at the infamous superclub Zouk. I was surprised by a young six-foot-tall man. I thought we hit it off. One minute we were dancing, and the next, he was gone. When I was leaving, I saw him kissing a man. I called his name, but he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – hear me. That was the last time I saw him. It just goes to show that it’s an ever-changing world. What appears to be one thing on the surface doesn’t show the whole truth. Calling Your Name is for those who want to keep an open mind……and maybe get a snog off the right guy”.
Pistol Daisys are going from strength to strength with significant radio play as well as TV appearances on both Channel 4 and STV as well as a recent gig at St.Luke’s in Glasgow with future festival dates lined up including Belladrum, Party At The Palace and Doune The Rabbit Hole.
For more on Pistol Daisys, head to their website here.
John Welsh
@welshjb
