Trying to make it 'big' as a band? Well, all you need is to come from either Camden or Manchester, have at least a 75% leather jacket-human ratio and provide enough controversy to make the Bible seem like a children's nursery rhyme. So, prepare to gasp and recoil in astonishment when I tell you that not only do The Stroll appear to lack in their leather quota, but they are also from Durham; a quiet cathedral city in the north of England for those of you too stunned to recall. Even more amazingly Heslop--Lead Guitar and backing vocals-- proclaims without hesitation or sarcasm that they AREN'T like "those Topman models you see in NME these days". Controversy at its finest right there.Whilst refreshingly the instruments aren't all autotuned to perfection, much is the style of some of those "Topman Models", there also isn't the feeling that all sense of time signatures in their songs will collapse without warning. They aren't anywhere near the half-arsed approach reminiscent of The Libertines who had a habit of taking the term 'rough around the edges' and beating the shit out of it. Reassuringly you also don't get the feeling that The Stroll will indulge in some casual narcotics or throw a television at a prostitute; so we may actually hear much more following Searching and Different Tune, Different Mood before they are pursued by the mobs of sensationalised Journo-Nazis.
Now before the Doherty and Barat cognoscenti descend upon my blog proclaiming "The Libertines were not half arsed they were perfect", I would like to tell them they are wrong, they are the very definition of half-arsed. Which is what gave them their appeal, but consequently was their biggest downfall. Now, The Stroll seem to have masterfully balanced that raw sound which us Brits so desire in our music, with a professional finish. Their EP is full of individualism and attitude, but at the same time doesn't get too carried away in the moment.
Searching is a rejuvenation of 90's Rock'n'Roll, too involved in how British it actually is to care what anyone thinks of it. Again the singer Josh Pringle doesn't care if the inadequacies in the vocals are there for all to see (not that there are any in particular), the vocal range in this specific song is belt it out in the chorus, and sing a tad quieter everywhere else. Not to suggest that the track in itself is too simplistic to grab your attention. Much like the Oasis of yesteryear Searching isn't designed for Saturday night antisocial antics, yet its reflective-English-acoustic attitude will appeal to the proprietors of such acts. The kind of music that the 'original' teenage Smiths fans of this generation will enjoy, and take great pleasure in pretending to be infuriated over the internet when a deconstructed cover of it is used in an advert for furniture, plunging the song into mainstream popularity.
Different tune, Different Mood on the other hand is something altogether more frolicsome and mischievous. With a name so apt that it virtually grins at itself in self-satisfaction, in the context of the EP, the track doesn't want to be perfect or emotive, it achieves in preying on even the most pretentious of music snob's guilty pleasures. Everything from the ingeniously crafted Strokes inspired guitar work, combined with the hazy overexcited influences of The Strolls estranged father-in-law (you guessed it) Mr Doherty himself, screams teenage rebellion. The lyrics aren't written by an artist who's enveloped in displaying an English Literature degree, or one trying to craft a puzzle so mephistophelean not even he knows the real meaning anymore. No, Different tune, Different mood simply wants to be the soundtrack to doing something childish, like going to the beach for the sole purpose of consuming vast quantities of alcohol and pelting all of your chips at fellow beach-goers and local wildlife.
To date The Stroll have crafted what has to be one of my favourite EP's that I have reviewed. Purely for the reason of the feelings of boisterous convivial immaturity to which it provokes. The musicianship is evident throughout both tracks but it is not this which gives the EP such a strong appeal. The identity of the Band is clear, and they don't take themselves too seriously, the downfall of many "indie Topman models" which they try, and achieve, in separating themselves from. Unfortunately for them I can see them increasing in popularity given some more attention, which may cause The Stroll to break into a brisk walk or even a jog, dare I say, but "The Jog" as a name is somewhat less charming.
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