Segrasso, 'Blue Rose'
Info: The first time I saw Dublin rock band Segrasso was at the beginning of the year at The Workman's Club in support of Naoise Roo's single launch for 'For You'. I hadn't heard their music or sound previously but a few recce's on the night got me interested to see what they would be bringing to the table. As is wont with a support slot their set was short enough between 4-5 songs, but it had sufficient impact that I was compelled to go and see them again in June at the same venue for what has thankfully become a brief hiatus rather than the originally billed farewell gig. I haven't come across another band just yet that sounds quite like them, somewhere firing between My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and Nirvana's Bleach, essentially just very good live rock performers who bring plenty of distortion and lovely breakdowns during songs to create a highly entertaining live experience.
After releasing their debut E.P. Headaches in February of 2014 the band are back with a new release called Too Late and No which will be officially launched at their alma mater on the 22nd of September. The E.P. opens with the excellent 'Blue Rose' which retains it's shoegaze feel live but with added powder-keg on stage. It's probably the closest point of MBV over the four tracks, but whereas the Northern Irish band had a tendency to maintain the same mood across entire tracks, Segrasso mix things up by pouring energy into sudden bursts of heavy bass and distorted guitar, the tracks main riff will also stay with you for some time, looping in your brain for days after.
Second track 'Seriously' best encapsulates what Segrasso's sound and personality is all about in my opinion, exemplifying their hard rock credentials, in a live setting it's explosive but also captured perfectly on the recording where it's impossible to avoid the wild beast that stalks between their guitars, drums and front-man Jake Dylan Regan's screeching vocals. 'Altimeter' is a throwback to tracks such as 'Cell' on their previous E.P., very much more in line with Oxford band Ride's debut Nowhere on the verses, it's a classic homage to a somewhat lost period of guitar music from the U.K. between the end of the 80's and before Britpop, and it's interesting to hear it coming through here, whether consciously or subconsciously, 'Altimeter' is a stand-out highlight on Too Late and No for me personally.
The E.P. closes with 'One More Thing', a jangle-pop intro makes way for deliberately naive love-lorn lyrics, which, combined with the rhythmic guitar-playing, nod to the early days of rock and roll's popular radio-play tracks. Unsurprisingly Segrasso have produced another very strong recording with their second E.P., it's hard to shake the feeling that this all comes terribly naturally to them and they're just here to have a good time, whilst making great music of a of an almost forgotten recent vintage with their own stylistic twist. There are more reasons to get on down to the E.P. launch next Tuesday in The Workman's Club, but only one way to find out what they are....
Event Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/697452643718232/
