S.C.U.M

1968年，闖蕩紐約的藝術青年瓦萊麗·索拉娜斯突然舉槍射向藝術界的大佬Andy Warhol，人們之后發(fā)現(xiàn)她還寫了一本名為《SCUM Manifesto》的書，宣揚全世界所有女人聯(lián)合起來創(chuàng)造一個大同世界的理想。整整40年后，一支年輕的樂隊在倫敦東南部成立了，并受到《SCUM Manifesto》的啟發(fā)把自己的名字定為了S.C.U.M。
“去你的，我們做音樂又不是為了討你開心！”S.C.U.M 樂隊的成員Samuel Kilcoyne在面對別人覺得樂隊有那么點“裝”的質疑時顯得有點憤怒。“我們不相信所謂的成功，我們只相信自己，請聽了我們的音樂再說話。”主唱Thomas Cohen點頭稱是，聲援起自己的隊友來。 事實上，人們對于樂隊有點“裝”的印象并不那么毫無道理。因為在Indie Rock盛行，年輕樂隊都很平易近人的今天，S.C.U.M的出現(xiàn)的確是有那么點特立獨行，甚至無形之中會讓人產(chǎn)生那么一點距離感。因為，S.C.U.M可不像一般的樂隊一樣會在采訪時和記者們聊自己受了誰和誰的影響，他們一開始就果斷地聲稱從沒有任何人在音樂上影響過樂隊。而在的巡演路途上，樂隊也會專門在當?shù)卣乙粋€錄音室用音樂記錄下自己對于這座城市的想法，并用“SIGNALS” 為名把它們歸到一個系列供樂迷下載，藝術氣息十足。而隨著樂隊的名氣越來越響，樂迷們還發(fā)現(xiàn)S.C.U.M的成員們也普遍來頭不小，主唱Thomas Cohen是英國電視名人Peaches Geldof的男朋友，Samuel Kilcoyne是前衛(wèi)電子樂團Add N to X成員Barry 7的兒子，而貝司手Huw Webb則是The Horrors樂隊成員Rhys Webb的弟弟。再加上樂隊成員修建的整整齊齊的中長發(fā)和時尚簡約的穿著，S.C.U.M實在是挺容易給人以一種紈绔子弟組個樂隊打發(fā)無聊時間的感覺。 但S.C.U.M自己明白樂隊的音樂目標絕非裝裝姿態(tài)的無病呻吟，想要真正去影響別人便只有寫出能感染人的歌曲這一條路。于是，在早期那張走實驗風格但聽上去有些蒼白的 《Visions Arise》之后，樂隊便沒有再發(fā)表作品，而是鉆研起了電影配樂，民謠和鄉(xiāng)村音樂，并想從中得到一些寫歌的啟示。在去年的時候，樂隊更是花了整整一年的時間到荒無人煙的英國郊區(qū)去排練創(chuàng)作，最終完成了首張專輯。 盡管這張專輯會在什么時候發(fā)表還并沒有確定，但從Mute公司率先為樂隊發(fā)表的《Amber Hands》單曲來看，他們的表現(xiàn)已經(jīng)有了脫胎換骨的變化，早期作品里那噪音化卻顯得單調的吉他部分得到了很大程度的豐富，算是樂隊的音樂打下了一個很深沉的基礎，再加上合成器的演奏，S.C.U.M的新作聽上去黑暗而又飄逸。而Thomas Cohen的嗓音也變得旋律化了不少，很能打動人。不過，可別以為樂隊就這么放棄了之前的藝術立場走起了流行路線。從他們能請來了德高望重的Silver Apples和Sonic Boom來給《Amber Hands》做Remix的舉動，我們就能看出他們依然保持了很高的眼界。 在有態(tài)度的同時，又通過勤奮的排練得到了音樂上的提升，或許隨著專輯的發(fā)表，會有越來越多的樂迷意識到S.C.U.M絕非一群眼高手低的紈绔子弟，而是真正懷有熱忱和創(chuàng)新意識的音樂家。
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S.C.U.M. – or to give them their full originally-invented-by-would-be-Warhol-assassin Valerie-Solanas name, Society For Cutting Up Men: essentially a cheery manifesto about how all men are a bit rubbish, basically – hark back to the clattering industrial sounds of yore, managing to evade the ham-fisted attempts of lesser acts who’ve looked to the era for inspiration.
There is something over-archingly immense about how the band have transformed from the embryonic state of ‘a(chǎn)ll talk and no trousers’, and are now bursting into a thrilling declaration of ‘a(chǎn)ctually, there’s more than just trousers, there’s hats too’. After initially arriving in 2008 as an act born from the Underage (festival, club nights etc) scene, and featuring a brother of a Horror and the son of an Add N to (X), they seemed a bit like a psychedelically incestuous art-rock EastEnders.
Comparisons with The Horrors are rife, mainly because of the connections and a similar outlook and sound. But then, we all thought we had the measure of Faris and company once, and now they’ve turned into the best band in Britain. And, really, there’s no reason why S.C.U.M. shouldn’t follow them.
Amazingly haired soundscapery and ominous and intriguing racket is S.C.U.M.’s stock in trade. Opener Faith Unfolds bowls about optimistically for a while, before swooning into a motorik glide, while the synthy washes of Amber Hands suggests there was a roaring trade going on for early Simple Minds albums around Hoxton at the start of this year. Thomas Cohen’s voice fits perfectly, with a baritone full of foreboding and illicit promise. Requiem builds into a coalescent swarm of noise, while album closer Whitechapel moves gracefully with a touch of cosmic disco among its swathes of cello and mellotron, and then breaks into a slight canter.
With high-concept sounds and an ace sleeve, Again Into Eyes is a bold debut, and an extremely rewarding experience. Initial listens may paint it as a bit of a pretentious dirge, but dive into it and soon warmth and light flood in. There’s a sense that S.C.U.M. are only just beginning, and the promise here suggests you should mark them for future greatness.