Presumably already sick and tired of comparisons to his former band The Kooks, ex bassist Max Rafferty is due to release his self-titled debut single ‘Lonely Town’ on November 22nd.
This double A-side single and acoustic B-side was created by Rafferty’s new ‘3 piece rock outfit’, stating that he wanted ‘a different sound, and songs with more weight to them’. Max must be feeling the pressure, with journalists and Kooks fans eagerly waiting to find out what a former member of one of the most popular young British bands now has to offer.
Sounding surprisingly unpolished, the leading track ‘Lonely Town’ has great dynamic contrasts of early 90’s grunge. Thick guitars, heavy drums and deep powerful bass give a raw feel; sounding so much less ‘pop’ than the kooks, and so unexpected, ‘Lonely Town’ possesses a darker edge to it. There is still enough pop influence to merit a sing-along, but there’s also enough attitude to make it cool and intriguing. If this is a taste of things to come, then Max Rafferty could well be part of a recent movement in emerging bands; re-introducing rawness and honesty back in to modern music. There is something youthful and rebellious about this song, with his young voice punching through the heavy guitar riffs.
Second song and the other A-side to this single is ‘Spill Recall’. Introducing the song with another heavy, guitar-laden section, then calming down dramatically. This song isn’t quite as gritty and raw, but does show variation in things to come. Showing off more of his indie rock/pop songwriter side, Max Rafferty has already managed to appeal to many different audiences after just two songs. Regretfully to report, there are some aspects of the guitar and vocals that do share striking similarities with the Kooks, but who can really blame him? Max Rafferty co-wrote the first – and most highly regarded - Kooks album, and was in the band until 2008.
Finally, ambient, swirling sounds are coupled with acoustic guitar in this pretty stripped-back b-side, although not too stripped. Are these simply imaginative melodies humming away in the background, or a clever way of hiding a shy vocal performance? It is also interesting that he has noticeably included some of the same lyrics that appeared on ‘Time Awaits’, a song from the Kooks’ first album. Even so, Max Rafferty has again managed to broaden his demographic with the addition of another varied song on this single.
‘Lonely Town’ is a great example of what to expect from a surprisingly exciting new band. Max Rafferty may still find it difficult to shake off Kooks comparisons, with songs that aren’t a million miles away from his past, but his new band have made sure that these three tracks are worth a listen.
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This double A-side single and acoustic B-side was created by Rafferty’s new ‘3 piece rock outfit’, stating that he wanted ‘a different sound, and songs with more weight to them’. Max must be feeling the pressure, with journalists and Kooks fans eagerly waiting to find out what a former member of one of the most popular young British bands now has to offer.
