Reviews

Self-assured sounding bands are fantastic.

Dustmites are just such a band. Seven songs (four originals and three cover version) are available via the MySpace profile at the moment.

Each one is a fully formed track, ready to take on all comers.

Dustmites

Sounds Like…

The band have a clearly defined style: The Zutons meet The Doors, stopping off for a dose of dirty punk along the way.

There's references to early-ish R.E.M. in there as well with a nod towards Stipe and Co's 'Strange' in 'Crawling Up the Stairs' and then a full cover version of the same song later on.

Other cover versions have been given the full Dustmites treatment.

To the untrained eye (or, perhaps just someone who didn't notice the word 'cover' near the title), John Lennon's 'Cold Turkey' could easily be a Dustmites original.

Dustmites

The Blame Game

The songs reek of bitterness, blame and, most tellingly, an acute awareness of self limitations and weaknesses.

It's there in 'Up to You' with the couplet: "You left it up to me/You won't do that again."

It's there in 'Perfect' with "I can't make a relevant decision" and in 'Crawling Up The Stairs': "I'm crawling up the stairs/I'm falling down again."

It's there also in the Lennon cover. 'Cold Turkey' is as bleak an account of weakness, human frailty and despair this side of Trainspotting: "Oh, I'll be a good boy/please make me well/I promise you anything/get me out of this hell."

Perhaps the self-assuredness is all an act after all.

Even the Gallagher brothers have their moments ("If you're leaving, will you take me with you" being, surprisingly, one of the most poignant lyrics committed to song), so why can't Dustmites share some of the human frailty?

They do, of course, counter the naval gazing with a fair portion of deflective blame-laying.

Lyrics like "You left it up to me", "Stop bugging me" and "You keep sending me letters I won't read" make that plain enough.

But there is enough self loathing in the songs to see that it takes two to tango.

Dustmites

Keep The Noise Up

The music is an intense octane trip, culminating in the glorious chaos of the finale to 'Crawling Up the Stairs' as it speeds up towards an incoherent explosion of sound.

It's all rather marvellous.

The songs take in the best of the psychedelic instrumentals of The Doors, mixing it effortlessly with the punk spirit of The Ruts or The Stiff Little Fingers.

It's not something that die hard fans of either genre should usually find appealing, but it works brilliantly.

Dustmites are a tight, well focussed band with a great collection of songs. Give them a listen. I think they'd like that quite a bit.

Dustmites are:
Mac Roach - Guitar & Vocals
Rich Lucas - Drums
Adam Tobin - Bass
Mike Parsons - Guitar

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