Spiders – Sharp Objects
Spiders – Sharp Objects
Wild Kingdom
Release Date: 14/02/2025
Review by Beth Morait
8/10
Ok, there’s something I’ve been trying to ignore for a while, and pretend it isn’t happening. But I think it’s time to come clean and face my growing problem head-on. So, here we go. My name is Beth, and I’m addicted to Swedish Rock and Metal. It’s been spiralling for a while. I’ve been trying to keep it under control, and not give into temptation, but recently that’s become so much harder, because of the amount of damn fine Rock and Metal that keeps dropping out of Sweden!!! Honestly, how is a girl in my situation supposed to control her habit when ridiculously good bands are literally falling into her inbox every day? I’ve tried to cut down, but I just can’t! I LOVE SWEDEN AND ALL ITS MUSICIANS, AND I’M NOT GOING TO HIDE MY ADDICTION ANYMORE!!!!
Anyway, now I’ve got that out of my system, let’s get on with the review! Formed in 2012, Spiders are yet another bunch of super-talented Swedish musos, who bring a brand of Rock ‘n’ Roll that’s heavily planted in the early days of Rock, with the sounds of Garage Rock and New Wave woven into their rich tapestry of Rock sound. This is their 4th album, and they’re already a big name in the European Rock scene. So, it’s time to give it a spin and find out why.
The instant vibe, as soon as ‘Rock n Roll Band’ starts, is ‘HAPPY’!! It’s an early 70’s, slightly psychedelic-inspired number that just makes you want to bop about bathed in sunshine, rocking the flares, floaty top, headband, and John Lennon shades look.
Track two, ‘Sweet Boy’ has Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbits’ written all over it, right from the musical hooks, to the slightly gravely, and very distinctive female vocals. It’s full of nostalgia, but modern at the same time. And the one thing that’s very noticeable here, and throughout the album is that nothing is fussy or complicated. It’s easy to listen to and assimilate in a way that makes it peaceful and uplifting all at once. It just makes you smile and forget all your troubles for a while. And I think we could all do with a bit of that medicine right now.
There’s a lot of iconic influences at play here, with the band citing The Faces, Dead Boys, Fred Cole, Bikini Kill, and Blondie. And you can absolutely hear all of them coming through loud and clear.
Musically, the riffs are straightforward, with nothing unexpected. But they’re peppered with some solos that again, don’t go over the top, but just enhance the mood, giving it a more improvised feel. Like they’re happy to just vibe with however the music makes them feel at that point in time. I like that a lot. In a world where democracy becomes less and less about freedom every day, freedom of expression in music is one thing that we can still hold sacred. My inner hippy really, really digs this sound.
Interestingly, you can almost hear the band moving through the eras with each track of this album. And by the time we get to the midpoint of the album, I’d say we’re hovering somewhere around the early 80’s, Status Quo zone, with ‘Too Hard For You’ taking a very standard form from this epoch. Solid 4/4 beat, riffs that follow natural chord progressions, and verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ solo/ bridge/ chorus x 2 to finish, with a rallentando at the end. Meat and two veg Rock ‘n’ Roll, which there’s absolutely nothing wrong with. It’s not groundbreaking, or pushing any boundaries, but it doesn’t need to, because it’s good. It’s pleasing and comforting, and that system was never broken, so as my mother always said, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ While I do love progressive music, it’s refreshing to see someone running with a tried and tested formula, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, but also making it work in a modern world.
And that, in my opinion, is something Spiders are absolute masters at. This album emulates the generations of ages past so well that you’d be forgiven for mistaking them for a band that found fame at Woodstock. But it also has a sound that the youngsters of today can access. Each track is sharp and punchy, so you don’t have time to get bored. Clever stuff you crazy kids! Now, where did I put those flares, and my denim and leathers? I feel a road trip coming on…
TRACKLISTING:
01. Rock n Roll Band
02. Sweet Boy
03. What’s Your Game (Miss Insane)
04. Fun In The Sun
05. Schizoid
06. Mess With My Emotions
07. Too Hard For You
08. Valentines
09. Life Mission
10. Love Yourself to Death
11. Would You Miss Me
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
