Reviewed:
The Crookes - Chasing After Ghosts
Label: Fierce Panda
3.5/5
These guys are crookes, but crookes of a different kind. They won’t break into your house, or beat you up for jizzle japes. Instead they’ll steal your senses with cheeky lyrics and well-constructed rhythms.
Never heard of The Crookes? Nor has anyone else, but make that change and soon. Named after a suburb in Sheffield of the same name, think early Maccabees getting frisky with Golden Silvers. This is a band that could easily blow up to Mumford sized proportions, or just as easily remain under the proverbial radar like the aforementioned Golden Silvers, never heard of them either right?
The album skips along at a merry pace, with lead singer George Waite’s crooning vocals soothing the listener into a state of peaceful bliss. Songs do fade into each other and there is a bit of an issue with some of the songs similarity. However there are some definite album highlights, such as the heart warming ‘Bloodshot Days’ and the Vampire Weekend-esque, smile inducing ‘Carnabetian Charm’.
A guitar driven album of romance and charm, The Crookes certainly have their own take on this music thing. Sounding like a lot of different bands in part, including Chapel Club on closer ‘City Of Lights’, but also like no one else, by having clear and distinctive musical features. This four-piece form Sheffield should appeal to a lot of different listeners.
