Underground Railroad - Pick The Ghost EP

If we could create a fantasy rock n’ roll band from scratch, they’d sound pretty much like French post punkers Underground Railroad. High praise indeed, but believe us, this lot deserve to be huge.

There’s no messing around here, it’s heavy atmospheric rock from the start and the band don’t veer far from their blueprint. ‘Pick The Ghost’ is the big anthem that The Jesus And Mary Chain never wrote, the pleading vocals crashing into wall after wall of stadium sized guitar riffs. ‘Homeless Town’ follows and the sneering vocal gives a sinister and dark feel to the track. It’s the centrepiece of the EP, a real standout tune which despite moments of genuine melody, deals in pure aggression. It’s quite an introduction, and ‘Monday Morning’ sounds quite ordinary after listening to the opening two tracks - its Dandy Warhol-esque harmonies are pleasant enough without ever threatening to develop into anything more than album filler. EP closer ‘Lots Of Cars’ offers up quiet / loud psychedelic rock of the Brian Jonestown Massacre variety and sounds massive. The final two minutes of grinding feedback sounds like it could envelope Glastonbury Festival and enrapture those within.

Combining the visceral rawness of early BRMC, the lyrical bite of Primal Scream and the sheer madness of 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, the ‘Pick The Ghost’ EP is a triumph, and one that will help propel the band into ‘next big thing’ territory.