Sahara Boat Club are on a four man mission to reawaken the spirit of the 80s. We’re not talking about Jason and Kylie here. Similarly, we’re not talking about The Smiths, Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen. Nor are we talking about Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Smell the Club No, the 80s spirit that Rich, Rory, Will and Jake are reaching out to is the Guns ‘n’ Roses sound of metallic fondue. Rock can’t really get much cheesier than this. But for a lack of miniscule Stonehenge replicas and lyrics about big bottoms, this could easily be Spinal Tap. The guitars are scorching hot, the rhythm is furious and the vocals are red raw. This is high octane stuff. Just one listen sends your testosterone levels soaring. Maybe that explains the title of one track: "Part Time Woman". The Open Road It’s a Delta Blues-infused sound that owes much to Led Zeppelin and many bands since, best listened to when cruising down a freeway in an open top. True, there aren’t many Route 66s round these parts, so a quick whiz down the Golden Valley Bypass in a Ford Fiesta will have to do. The songs generally reflect themes of change. "Take Me Home" suggests a restlessness with a strange world while the title of "You’re too Late" speaks for itself. No Time Wasters Where the songs aren’t hinting at change, they are rather more obvious attacks on people. "Hey you/You’re wasting my time" runs a lyric in the final track – with pelting drumsticks and pounding guitar-work to match. Time wasting is a common theme on this mini-album. "Symbol of Hate" features a similar line: "You’re pointless and you’re wasting my time". Let Yourself Be Amidst the sea of thudding drums and mindblowing power chords comes an island of tranquility. "You Can Be" is a quieter ballard, part Michael Stipe, part John Lennon. It aims at inspirational/uplifting, and generally succeeds with a corresponding decline in the cheese factor. It’s an acoustic driven track, which in itself makes for a dramatic change. "You will be free/to live your life the way it should be/you can be free" Rich sings with an impassioned plea. Don’t Miss the Boat Sahara Boat Club offer an exciting, blues-metal sound that no doubt sound glorious live. If you thought Murdoc were good, you might even like these guys more. In the meantime, the search must continue for more oxymoron band names. There must be an act out there called The Singing Trappists.
......................................................... This article is user-generated content (i.e. external contribution) expressing a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire. | 
