Pensioner - Pensioner EP

There’s little straightforward about Pensioner. The name’s a misnomer, their history is written in colourful, far-flung prose, whilst this self-titled debut EP is a restless, mutating beast that jerks and spasms with inventive time changes and unexpected, crunching codas.

Spawned from Dundonian band Alamos, Pensioner carry the torch of now-defunct countrymen De Rosa in their soft, rousing vocal melodies. These OAPs are, however, a much heavier affair musically. Opening track Goodbye Tension, Hello Pension carves several, wrong-footing rock crescendos from its delicate opening bars, whilst Le Coq Sportif’s contrasting, to-and-fro vocal duelling are an easily spotted highlight. Instrumental offering From Rags to Glitches feels a little lost in amongst it all, and perhaps highlights that Pensioner need their all-singing abilities to tie their many strings together. Thankfully, finale Credit Crunch, Schmedit Schmunch (where do they get these wonderful titles?) gets these senior citizens back on track. [Darren Carle]