It is the way of rock music that originality is rarely prized. It is perhaps unsurprising therefore that Welsh Band Recluse provide few surprises with their debut album “Crooked Heart”. That said, they do a decent enough job here.
A lack of budget clearly limits the sonic impact of their efforts but there is merit in what they do especially on the up-tempo songs like “Heartjacker” where vocalist Britt displays an authority that he lacks in his more restrained, and Kurt Cobain afflicted, moments. There are signs of a sense of adventure too with “Porterhouse Blues” suggesting a very valid musical direction for the band to follow in future.
“Crooked Heart” would, with judicious editing, have been a much better EP than an album. Too many of the songs are by the numbers workouts that do not do the band justice and serve only to obscure their true potential.
The album is also available from Bandcamp.