Today's SNAP is influenced by a rather special album launch that took over the Old Blue Last, a stone throw from CMU HQ (it's true, we just threw a stone from our window and it hit), and where we headed at the end of a very long day yesterday evening. And we weren't the only ones. Looking around the small room above this shabby Shoreditch pub, which serves as a gig venue, I spied members of various bands and writers from various magazines and websites, and a phenomenal number of fans. There could not have been more people packed in there. And all had come down to celebrate the release of Rolo Tomassi's debut album, 'Hysterics', which was released yesterday.
Normally it's the preserve of long-established bands to play their albums in full from beginning to end, after their fans have had a good few years to absorb the songs into their lives and memories. But Rolo Tomassi are not just any old band and if anyone is going to get away with playing a set of songs that the majority of the room won't have had time to even listen to by that point, it's them. And they certainly got away with it. The album is more musically ambitious than their earlier releases, and far less full on. Of course, there are still bursts of intense hardcore, but these are distributed amongst more ambient sections, more experimentation with their jazz influences, and more singing. Or even some singing, which provides a stark contrast against the barked roars frontwoman Eva Spence is more known for. This new material takes an already distinct sound and really pushes it. It's safe to say, that writing this album would be a stretch for any musician, but that most of the band's members are still in their teens (it was, in fact, synth player and old man of the band James Spence's 20th birthday yesterday, too) makes what you witness when they play almost unbelievable.
With the performance of the album complete, there was no way the crowd were going to let the band off stage. An encore of 'Film Noir' and 'Curby' from the first EP rounded the night off in explosive fashion. These two songs also displayed just how far this band are developed and matured in the last two years. 'Hysterics' is an album in the true sense; a collection of songs that work best when heard together as one continuous piece. And to see it played live in that way to a room full of eager fans was a real treat. You can preview some Rolo Tomassi here on their MySpace, but I'd recommend checking out one of the many tour dates listed below the player instead - you'll not be disappointed, I promise.
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