Another day another rock band and this time it is the turn of Liverpool’s The Cubical to launch a whisky soaked vocals and power chord attack on my, by now limited, attention span. Their album is called “Blood Moon” and the suggested volume level for proper appreciation, if such a thing were to be specified, would be stadium loud.
Despite their very conventionality and consequent festival friendliness, there is actually much about The Cubical to interest the ears here and those with tastes that include max power cider in plastic bottles and punching the air will feel fully justified in their efforts as this is the kind of band that exudes conspiratorial confidence. You may, and probably will, have heard a band like this before but, this time around, you won’t be drawn inexorably to make comparisons for the real strength here is the songs that sweat beer and the great smell of Brut just as if the seventies had never died before embedding themselves in your memory.
You could, for example, imagine yourself, especially if somewhat the worse for wear and well on the road to sleep deprivation, spinning like a dervish in some mud soaked field to “I Want Money” or “I Believe It When I Love You” with Dan Wilson playing the pied piper perfectly as he leads you off to hangover land.
I really should hate an album like this but, with their combination of proper songs and focussed musical direction, The Cubical show just how it should be done. Pour yourself a beer, turn the volume up and see if you can agree with that. I reckon you will.