Can it be truly glorious to praise a band from central Scotland for not sounding like they are a band from central Scotland? Steady State Regime certainly don’t sound like a band from central Scotland and their EP “Perestroika”, although often prone to longeur, shows them to be band possessed of an unexpected musical maturity.
Much of the credit goes to the worldly vocals of David Sinclair as he confidently brings order to the often conflicting sonic influences that make this band what it is. You can, for example, hear fragments of the ghost of Goodbye Mr Mackenzie in “Settle The Score” but it is his white boy soul voice that provides the emotional seasoning. Likewise, he infuses ennui into “User” and thus provides a, almost necessary, counterpoint to the song’s inherent anthemic qualities. The mood maybe dark yet David Sinclair is willing and able to shine a torch towards the path to redemption.
Whilst many bands from central Scotland use volume as a substitute for ambition, Steady State Regime prove themselves ready, willing and able to demonstrate that it is the message found in the song that makes the most noise. May they be loudly applauded for doing so.