Reignmaker’s debut EP revels in its own identity.
Whilst the music tourism industry in Britain is definitely a good thing, it’s not without some downside.
A gig promoter once told Live4ever that if you were a band from Liverpool for instance, you could probably make a better living as a member of a decent Beatles cover outfit, and you feel that if as many people who got their photo taken outside Salford Lads Club supported new music from the city, the place would still be cranking out talent at the rate it used to.
A quintet from Liverpool, Reignmaker are signed to the Modern Sky label (also home of Jamie Webster and Michael Head) who wisely cite The La’s and the otherwise rich musical heritage that surrounds them as inspiration.
Championed by Webster, like him they’ve served their dues playing in a catalogue of local venues, a journey leading up to the release of We Go Round, their debut EP.
In a move which might disappoint some people, it’s not comprised of four covers of songs from The White Album. Peculiarly, the material is as much a canny sideways recognition that whilst the city’s most famous sons are often coveted by outsiders, the smart way to play things is to walk your own path.
Opener Find Your Own Way is the clearest possible affirmation of that, a tumble of anthemic chords and a chorus the Gallaghers would be proud of if they weren’t constantly riffing off mock fratricide.
It’s marginally the pick of the four songs here, but not because it’s the best version of the same thing, as Thirteen’s Fate is a more animated version of their heroes which summons up grit and graft, whilst Round And Round dallies with scouse shoegaze and Stay Behind renders The Coral’s dreamy psychedelics to near perfection.
We Go Round has the rest of us on notice that Reignmaker are ones to watch, unless your idea of music is listening to someone knocking out someone else’s whilst you’re on a guided tour.
