The Pocket Gods - Lo-fi Sci-fi

The Pocket Gods claim to sound like nothing else on this planet, but in reality they don’t have to look that far back into the musical history of Earth to find a fair few reference points. Lo-fi Sci-fi calls on variations of classic rock, sounding at points like Beefheart, the Velvets or The Beatles - the riff from their Weekend Revulers is wholeheartedly lifted from Lady Madonna. The fuzzed-up guitars and rudimentary vocals on Night Lights put you in mind of the Jesus & Mary Chain, and the sleazy three-chord thrash of Vvbud is pure Cramps. However, it seems fair to say that the Pocket Gods don’t take themselves too seriously. The track Praise the Lard seems to be a paean to eating pig fat, and the overall feeling of the album is one of quite joyous, anarchic fun. The problem is, it’s hard to listen to without wondering who it is that each tune calls to mind. [Euan Ferguson]