Ikara Colt - Chat And Business

Pack as much attitude as you can into four Brits, give them instruments as well as enough musical talent to sound somewhat proficient, and there you'll find Ikara Colt. It's also probably worth mentioning that the band met in art school - but of course! However, despite all that, the real question is, "are they good?" Well, yes. Their ragged and raging sound is much of their charm, but doesn't limit them to the garage aesthetic they are noticeably influenced by. The young foursome grinds out some of the most raw and urgent rock to come out England in the past few years. It's not so much that their music is that unique, it's the posture in which they deliver it. There is a palpable ego felt anytime Paul Resende utters anything through the microphone - a feeling that is multiplied with backing vocals from guitarist Claire Ingram (see "Belgravia" for examples). Compounding the well-established bravado are the fuzzed guitars, jangly bass lines and drum barrage, which are all then furthered by the minimal production. Clearly, this album was constructed as a work of art, not just a sonic attack on all that is wrong with music in England. No, this isn't the be-all-end-all of British rock. I'd even speculate that Chat and Business won't be the pinnacle of the Ikara Colt legacy. However, if there's one thing I've taken away from this album, it's the hope that they'll continue to defy the complacent and prosaic bands that materialize in England (not to mention on Earth in general) every 0.51 seconds. [www.epitaph.com]