A band’s name can often give a good clue to the type of music they make. Metallica were never going to be a glossy synth pop band were they? Soul II Soul told you exactly what they were doing from the start. Explosions In The Sky weren’t going to be a sneaky whisper of a group. And the terribly named Pigeon Detectives reflect their shit name by making shit music.
So what type of music would you expect an act called Giant Fang to make? We were expecting some sort of cold aggressive Norweigan post-rock with muscular cinematic power chords. Yet our presumptions had to take a back seat when we saw that the Giant Fang single Aqualung was coming out on a new label called POP unLTD, which is run by two ladies called Jen and Jessica who know their pop music as intimately as we know the lyrics to every Nicola Roberts b-side. (That’s quite a bit).
For Aqualung is pop, but not pop in the sense that we could imagine it being a song that The Saturdays or Olly Murs would cover (thankfully). This is pop from a world of paradise and elegance. It’s pop that’s that owes a kinship with rock music in its structure and sonic dynamic. It’s pop that doesn’t tire after a few listens. It’s pop that aims for the heavens. It’s pop that’s very good indeed.
So who is making this music? Giant Fang is rather disappointingly not some hairy leather clad Norweigan but Glasgow musician and producer Douglas Wilson. Having spent a number of years on the ropes as a tour manager and session musician Giant Fang is his own sweet baby. Aqualung was recorded with Sky Larkin drummer Nestor Matthews at Chem 19 studios in Glasgow and comes equipped with a couple of remixes from two other rather top notch artists that have featured on Breaking More Waves in their own right – Prides and Unicorn Kid. Giant Fang play Glasgow Art School on June 20th. If it wasn't quite so far away we'd be there like a shot. Scottish readers - put it in your diary now.
Giant Fang - Aqualung
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