Since the ascent of The Arctic Monkeys there has been a plethora of inferior indie bands riding on their coat tails. The Nightjars may exhibit some of The Arctic Monkeys traits: accented vocals, a raw sound and songs about humdrum Northern life. Yet they also have their own energy and intensity which recall both The Jam and The Fall.
An opening salvo of ‘You Set Me Reeling’ and ‘Set Them Up’ features guitar melodies that swing from speaker to speaker; like some of the best indie rock records they’re hook-filled and urgent-sounding. Thankfully it’s no fluke either. The Nightjars regularly incorporate smart chord changes which border on art-rock at times, as you’d expect from a group who count The Velvet Underground and Pavement as their influences. Yet the most impressive offering, ‘MDMA’ builds on a languid, distorted guitar figure which soon explodes into a rattling post-punk anthem. For fine moments like these, The Nightjars’ more mature and individualist take on guitar-led rock should see them stand out from the pack.
Web Sites:
The Nightjars Official Site
The Nightjars MySpace
Further Listening:
The Jam, The Nightingales, The Fall
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