Xplicit have a name to strike fear into any heart. “Explicit” would have been bad enough, evoking images of sex, violence, bad language and a plethora of Parental Advisory warnings. But with the removed “E” and a capital “X” at the front, the bar is raised higher and higher. They must be very big and very, very bad and…..
Well, actually, Xplicit aren’t actually that big or bad at all. True, they are loud. They must have been paying attention in their Irritant classes. Their "totally bogus, dude” metal guitar solos are, well, totally bogus, dude. But Xplicit aren’t too scared to show their sensitive side either. As a result Chapter One, the band’s aptly-named debut is a fantastic blend of noisy metallic rock fit for both a packed gig in the sweatiest of clubs and thoughtful bedsit navel gazing. Angsty Young Men While the guitars alternate between chugging rhythms and soaring solos, vocalist Andy Jackson is able to offer his thoughts on life, the universe and everything. It’s the usual teenage angst fare (“I can’t stand the world that faces me and shatters reality”) but it’s handled well enough to arouse even the least angst filled non-teenager’s interest. Under the Influence Xplicit offer a full rocking sound. Citing influences from Guns ’n’ Roses through to the The Who, you can tell from the start that these guys want to rock your socks off. But given their aptitude for producing more thoughtful songs, comparisons can also be drawn with earlier Stereophonics songs (compare and contrast “She Takes Her Clothes Off” and “Local Boy in the Photograph” with tracks like Xplicit’s EP closer “Not So Bad”). What Does it All Mean? The lyrics cover one existential crisis after another - a kind of “there must be more to life” mentality shown through lines like “Everyday is like the last….all the words they are the same/but you’re contradicting yourself again” (“Answer to This”) or “I’m watching but you’re slipping away” (“Not So Bad”). Add into this feelings of guilt (“He’s feeling sad now/but feeling bad that/he’s not the one who’s/really had it that bad”) and fear of unrequited love - or any kind of affection (“Trying to find the best way/to try and display/to try and convey/these feelings are misplaced/these feelings are delayed/these feelings are….you!”) and you have all the ingredients you need for a great set of angst ridden, hard rockin’ songs. Which is exactly what you have here. Pour Your Misery Down Xplicit have in them the capacity to become a great band. They have managed to harness the sound of despair and set it to an excellent soundtrack. Just don’t tell them that, otherwise they might become happy. And we wouldn’t want that, would we? | 
