Smilex - La Petite Mort

Howdy bitches and a Happy New Year to you all. thegeneral is back, briefly, after a short sojourn and semi-raring to go (don't ask about Christmas, just don't). Yes, that's right, the blog that no-one wants to read, written by the writer that couldn't care less is winging its way through January like a dose of Laudanum through a Pre-raphaelite's main artery and kicking off off the first month of 2014 in great style with a fabulous new release.

So tonight I'd like to introduce you to Smilex and it's going to be quite a noisy and uproarious one.

First of all, go hither and have a listen to their back catalogue of delights:

http://smilex.bandcamp.com/

Just before the festivities commenced le general was lucky enough to be sent a download of this great band's new album "La Petite Mort", which is released through Oxford label Quickfix Recordings. I quickly flicked through the rest of the e-mail to note that this new collection of rough and tumble sees them reunited with Ace. Yes that's right. Ace. Ace of Skunk Anansie fame. As soon as I saw that I thought "I'm 'avin' some of this..." and went to download it.

What can this record offer you then?

Well, do you remember in the 1990s when America ruled the waves of alternative rock? So do I....

...sorry...

I was just staring wistfully into the middle distance and whistling "Touch Me I'm Sick"...

Yeah, so alternative rock. If you liked any of those bands - Pixies, Jane's Addiction, Nirvana, Mudhoney et al I think it's a fairly safe bet you'll love Smilex.

"La Petite Mort" is a surprisingly catchy, easy to get into album, that's the right side of dirty, fuzzy, scuzzy aural filth. Nicely mastered vocals combine with some great, punky, edgy guitar riffs. Each song is a surprise in it's own right, lulling you into a false sense of what they actually turn out to be. There's some pretty deft playing throughout which sets it apart from some of the other also-rans who are simply trying to recreate the music of twenty years ago. Smilex are creating their own unique path to tread with this album.

Tracks like "What Is It You Actually Do Again?" are a prime example of this - starting off with a brilliant pick, then launching into something rib cage rippingly powerful (not to mention the biting wit of the lyrics - for those of a sensitive disposition, do not listen to this album if you don't like naughty swear words...I do...so it's all good).

It's actually pretty impossible to pick out one stand alone track - they're all gems in their own way right from the opener "9hz", which has an almost impossibly brilliant maths-pop start, through to the breathy last "One Woman Man".

Smilex are a band that are by turns, scary, gentle, uplifting, graceful , dirtily rough and fucking mammoth. What's not to love? Let them into your life.