MUSIC

‘Walking With Sharks’ (EP, Cab Records) ****

• The jackhammer beats, black humour and pop metal of ‘Slice ’n’ Dice’ signal the return of Matt Prozac, formally of this parish, now residing in Oxford. His gleamingly buff cyber-rock and the prominent addition of a strong (uncredited) female backing vocalist results in an unlikely cross between the Dandy Warhols and NIN. ‘C’Ya’ mixes up martial drum snares, dobro, pulsing sequencers and buzzsaw guitars to good effect. But everything else pales beside the towering epic centrepiece ‘Next To You, Forever’, a savagely funny tale of love gone wrong that builds into a terrifying monolith of spitting fury as the (spoiler!) love rat turns his gimlet eye upon the pitfalls of relationships and his talent for blowtorching everything. It’s either autobiographical or a glimpse at an alternative Alan Bennett, graphic novelist, funding his crack addiction. (Kid Pensioner)

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