Antigen Records

Description

Accidental debut album by antigen ex-pats Gaffa Tape Sandy, who have now moved on to bigger and better things with Alcopop Records.

The Spring Killing EP was originally self-released as a six-song CDr in April 2017. Now cynically reissued by antigen records to capitalise on the success of breakthrough singles Beehive and Meat Head, neither of which are included on the album. But don’t let that put you off, as this was the record that first brought Gaffa Tape Sandy to our attention, with its furious mix of white-hot garage rock, oblique lyricism and excitable-boy-meets-deadpan-girl twin vocal shenanigans. Gaffa Tape Sandy don’t entirely abandon the mandatory grunge formula to which all Bury St. Edmunds rock bands must adhere, but they spike it with a double dose of smart drugs and adrenaline. The result is a relentless headrush of sharp ideas, unexpected detours and gratifyingly heavy shoutalong choruses.

This edition is a professionally-replicated glass-mastered CD, with enhanced audio fidelity, improved print quality and two bonus tracks taken from the band’s long-deleted debut single, Smart Dressed Guy, making it technically an album (in price, if not in length). It is released with the fully-informed consent of the band, their management and their enormous legal team.

The album was recorded and mixed by George Perks at Punch Studios (1-6) and Crypt Studios (7-8). Mastered at Metropolis by Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin.

“Despite all of the usual influences, Gaffa Tape Sandy have successfully swerved the cliches often found in emerging garage rock of their ilk, there’s no copy and pasting of their favourite tracks or genres here, giving instead what is a well-rounded debut that nods to their individual heroes whilst being entirely their own. The male / female vocal adds extra depth rather than feeling overdone, with their live performance being a must-see.” – Record of the Day.