Reviews and press...
Last Updated:
14/10/05
Archived
Reviews:
| Repomen Feature, Sandman Magazine |
October 2005 |
| EP5, Losing Today Webzine |
March 2005 |
| EP5, Sandman Magazine |
March 2005 |
| EP5, Penny Black Music |
February 2005 |
| Interview with Pennyblack Music |
February 2005 |
| EP 3, at Kathodik (in Italian) |
February 2005 |
| EP 5, Reviewed at Soundaloud website |
November 2004 |
| EP3 and 4, Weiv webzine, South Korea |
August 2004 |
| EP4, Soundaloud.com |
June 2004 |
| EP4, Dot Dash Fanzine |
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June 1992 |
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December 1991 |
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Latest reviews:
Losing Today webzine - "Singled Out", 13th March 2005.
Repomen ‘Out of here’ EP (Repo).
Another stupendous ensemble returning again to subdue our poor old ‘held together’ by gaffer tape Hi-Fi are Sheffield based quartet Repomen. Last heard round these parts with their walloping ‘Moonlight Driving’ EP this their 5th extended play offering sees the band continuing at a pace with their ‘no pigeon holing us’ routine which is mighty fine by us even if we do say so ourselves. Adorning the sleeve is a picture of nursery shark which looks pretty fetching though why we tell you this is beyond me, just felt compelled I suppose, though we must admit the sight of White and Siberian Tigers really does have us panting and cooing. Enough of that though, back to the Repomen. Fifth EP, five tracks all pretty smart and opening to the audaciously happy title track ‘Out of Here’ of which we can honestly say if this doesn’t get the grooving boots working till fit to drop then by rights you have no business listening to music. More like a charge than a song this cute ear pricker is about you before you have time to settle down and set yourself up for a listening feast, incorporating a maddening radio friendly jerk-tastic rhythmic demeanour, terrace like sing-a-long breaks, Cockney Rebel harmonies all housed with such a warming sunshiny appeal that you’ll swear its brought its own shades and Ambre Solaire just for the ride. ’Love Me’ clocking in at just 70 seconds is pure snot nosed, short, sharp shock treatment with classically treated scratch ‘n’ sniff Damned riffs aplenty that’ll have you pogoing like a pneumatic drill. ‘Ships’ makes it difficult to be within earshot of and walk away without feeling a tad punch drunk, soft centred and sensitive but blessed with an skewed sea faring while the ornamental ‘Tomorrow’ tripped and glazed with its lush but subtle string statements is heartening and reveal the bands more romantic and hazily drifting MOR inner self. All said and done favoured cut is the scarred ‘Fold’ which sounds like our old mates from across the pond Tilipomania, though here dutifully smothered with the arresting tease of Eastern charms which overall give it the appeal of the Mission at their most unworldly and majestic as though spliced by the mere dashing of Gene Loves Jezebel. Obviously goes without saying that your record collection needs this – like now.
Mark Barton.
Soundaloud review, November, 2004.
Out of Here (EP5)
The
fifth EP by veteran bopsters Repomen is a bit of a tale of two halves. Both
weighted in different ways from a rather experimental light punk attack and
energy in the first three songs, to a more laid back acoustic finale for the
closing double.
The first two songs pass within the blink of an eye with barely over three
minutes between them. Title track Out
Of Here shows some trademark
Repomen piano melodies. Not as punk as the following track but very upbeat and
more like the Repomen that we are used to. It’s a song that doesn’t stray
too far from originality but certainly grows on you with every listen.
You may wonder why I keep referring to the work punk? Well the second track
reveals all. It’s not exactly Sex Pistols by any stretch. More a mash of
keyboard and guitar loops thrown in at pace without being overdone and still
keeping the Repomen electro pop feel.
The stand out track for me has to be Fold.
Dashes of spanish guitar and an enthralling drumbeat with some enchanting
synthesized rhythm.
The final tracks were, I believe, recorded separately for the EP. This is in my
opinion a side of Repomen that I would love to see more of. The more
melodramatic feel brings a certain distinct quality from the vocals and allows
them to feel more at ease with the music. Ships is a song that could really
benefit from a more layered approach with strings and possibly some wind
instruments. Also showing some good use of dynamics in the more powerful and
intense chorus.
Closing track Tomorrow
is another acoustic number. A rather short song with a somewhat passive feeling
to the music and lyrics. A beautiful end to the EP as the song grows with some
light tambourine before drawing to a close.
In conclusion, not the best twenty minutes of music I’ve heard recently, but
certainly not the worst by any means. The excellent classic Repomen melodies are
present in abundance which are the bands forte and the ‘holding the attention
factor’ is good. A very good collection of songs, but I feel the EP is missing
the all important outstanding track.
Paul Cooper
L2SB - Reviews, 29th January 2004.
Moonlight Driving. Info: RepoRecords.
The Repomen trip back into time to the days of 80s indie with this lot, and I
really hope they
don’t take that as
an insult. First track, ‘Moonlight
Driving’ is a giddy track
with a shuffly rhythm section and piano riff, and is very nice.
The next two tracks bring to mind the word “jangly”, and are pleasant if
forgettable indie love songs, and the last track ‘Delta
Blues’, well, does exactly
what it says on the tin.
These tracks fall well short of bettering ‘Lauren Bacall’ off their last EP,
a track that’s up there with my favourite local tracks of the last few years,
but it’s a good stab. What I really look forward to is a Repomen demo which
encapsulates the energy of their live show, where singer Denzil takes over the
stage like a whirling and bespectacled ringmaster.
Pete J Mella
Do something pretty webzine – "Singles reviews", 26th January 2004
Moonlight Driving/The Finest line EP.
Not a second of this four-track EP is wasted with silence as Sheffield’s The Repomen pack in as much as they possibly can. The first title track shares the same energy as The Stone Roses and a sax part of Madness proportions. The second sounds far more C86 – it could have made Sarah Records proud back in the early 90s. Remarkably, Untethered sits between the two camps as an acoustic song with Field Mice-style verses but the perfect hazy pop chorus. Delta Blues returns to the rockier side of The Repomen with some Television vocals that sound so wrong they might just be right. Only four EPs in, The Repomen are already creating an indefinable sound all of their own.
Chris H.