Noise rock isn’t really my thing but there is only so much subtlety and introspection that a man can take before he needs a sizeable dose of power chords. “Skyscrapers Soaring Yet We’re Drowning” by Poor Bambi features many such power chords.
While Poor Bambi can kick up a storm when it suits them – and this is the case for most of this album – it is pleasing to note that they also demonstrate a pleasing degree of dramatic intent with some simmering of emotional intensity mixed with targeted lyrics in the melting pot before, during and after the sledgehammer attacks from both guitars and drums. Somewhere in that volume drenched murk lurks Sarah Hestness and, with vigour and almost punk style, she injects plenty of attitude into her vocals and duly lifts these ten songs closer to the ears of the many.
You know what you are getting with Poor Bambi and they duly deliver that with “Skyscrapers Soaring Yet We’re Drowning”. Subtlety is most certainly not on the cards yet, amongst all those guitar solos, beats the heart of a band that has the potential to make your day just a little bit better.
Anyway, all that reminds me of a story. Not so much a story as an anecdote but we all have to start somewhere. In a time long ago, I stopped off a cafe in the highlands of Scotland for some much needed coffee. As it turned out, the café was also a farm shop so it seemed only reasonable to stock up on venison before heading on down the road but, unfortunately, there was no venison haunch left. Undeterred, and in a fine example of going the extra mile in matters of customer care, the woman behind the counter pulled out an axe and declared that it was time to “kill Bambi”. “Poor Bambi”, I thought.