Reviews

The fourteenth Olympic games were held in 1948 in London after a 12 year hiatus due to the Second World War.

Interesting as this factoid is, I'm still not sure why a Gloucester/Forest of Dean-based band in 2007 would name themselves after a sporting event that occurred 59 years ago.

Then again, a Manchester-based band once named themselves after the Oasis swimming pool in Swindon, so perhaps Olympic 48's name isn't that strange after all.

It could have been worse: they could have called themselves "West Houghton Community Leisure Centre".

New Kids on the Block

Olympic 48 are a new band to join the plethora of Gloucestershire based singers, songwriters and musicians.

Already they have notched up two recordings which are freely available on the all pervading Myspace: "Downing Units" and "Nothing Yet".

And if these two sample tracks are anything to go by, local music venues and music websites will be brighter, richer places thanks to the high octane indie rock antics with a nostalgia for past sporting events.

Their music is a blend of 90s and Noughties Indie with a nod of the head in the direction of 80s rock and 60s pop.

Drowning Sorrows

Despite the chirpy sounding, high energy riffs and fast moving tunes, Olympic 48's outlook is fairly bleak.

Ostensibly, "Downing Units" is a drinking song to match anything that a pub full of sweaty rugby players could come up with down at the Ferret and Thimble on a Saturday night.

But with lines like "Forget yourself, forget you're broken hearted", there's a clear bittersweet tale behind this celebration of bitter, lager and all things alcoholic.

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Similarly with "Nothing Yet", an overwhelming foreboding pollutes the catchy rhythms and sing along choruses.

"Everyday is a problem", the song begins. Later on we get lines like: "The future's already written, and there's nothing you can do".

It's as if Eeyore stopped chewing grass one day and decided to form a band. There can be no doubt the old grey donkey would approve of a lyric like "If you think you've got problems now/you ain't seen nothing yet."

Hidden Depths

Like all good bands, there is more to Olympic 48's music than meets the ear.

There are catchy tunes reflecting inspiration from the Kinks to present day indie acts, but there is also a darker edge hidden beneath the raucous façade.

The Olympics occur every four years. Let's hope it's not that long before this band get another outing.

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This article is user-generated content (i.e. external contribution) expressing a personal opinion, not the views of BBC Gloucestershire.