Reviews

The Worries. It's an odd name for a band. You might as well call yourselves 'The Anxieties', 'The Mildly Distressed' or 'The Did-I-Leave-the-Oven-on-When-I-Left-for-Work-This-Mornings'.

The Worries are a band from Cheltenham, one of the hotbeds of new music in the Gloucestershire area.

They have four songs on their Myspace page: each one an explosion of sound guaranteed to fill beer drenched dance floors - or at least get your toe tapping.

Thesis I

There is a feeling of hedonism in the face of (or despite) adversity running through the lyrics: "There ain't nothing else, so let's just sing it" runs a line from 'Get it Right'.

Everyone's given up the fight - they have given up the struggle - so you might as well make use of what you've got and enjoy yourself as much as you can.

The theme runs through 'All Fall Down' in a spirit that combines a line from nursery rhyme 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie', with the spirit of Chumbawumba's 'Tubthumping': "We all fall down/we all stand up/we all fall down/and in the morning can we all stand up again?".

It appears again in 'Take it Easy' with a line about dreaming of a "future without confusion".

Pete Adams: Vocals/Guitar

Burn, Baby, Burn

It's also there in the lines of "Open Your Eyes" which recounts a tale of nervous boys being encouraged to watch a fire's blaze by their father: "Hold out your hand: it's all right".

These are songs about a loss of innocence, a loss of ambitions, the death of dreams.

This is a world where a father - usually a figure of authority and restraint - has to teach his children to enjoy the rush of excitement in watching a fire burn.

High Concept

And so the lyrics show an awakening: enjoy what you can, while you can: "It's a crazy situation so just you get it right" is the mantra that repeats through 'Get it Right'.

This is a mini concept album for the dispossessed: A modern day 'The Wall' for victims of a nanny state, who have started to believe that they can't do what they want.

Maybe it's not so odd they're called 'The Worries' after all.

Thesis II

Then again I could be reading too much into this. Maybe the songs are just four great, high octane tracks that will rip through your ears with no thought for the carnage they will leave behind.

That they are such adrenaline filled anthems is indisputable. 

This is slick, organised chaos. The band boast a broad range of styles from chugging nu-metal basslines ('All Fall Down') to modern indie sounds ('Get it Right').

Teenage Kicks

Most glorious of all, are the punkish licks of 'Open Your Eyes' which proudly boasts similarities with The Clash and The Undertones.

Blended together, The Worries have a sound entirely of their own - distinct from anything you'll hear, whilst still sounding vaguely familiar.

The music is filled with enough energy to light up a small town. We may be able to harness The Worries as a renewable power source.

In this band, we may have found the new poster boys for a disaffected youth - a kind of alternative to Emo (only for people who don't like wearing black all the time).

Alternatively they might just be a collection of musicians who want to rock your socks off. Whatever they are, The Worries cannot help but impress.

This band are ones to watch: One of the most exciting acts to come out of Gloucestershire this year.

If you liked Transit Cop, you might just like this lot. If you love good music, you'll love The Worries.

This article is an external contribution and expresses a personal opinion, not necessarily the views of the BBC.
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