Not every four-piece band can boast four vocalists, three drummers, three guitarists, and three bassists, but then again not every band possesses the versatility, range, and multidirectional eclecticism of Dublin quartet, The Immediate.
These young music-obsessives met at school and were fortunate enough to find a musical mentor in the guise of their school caretaker. Responsible for introducing Conor and Dave to the likes of The Velvet Underground, Love, Can, and Serge Gainsbourg, he opened up a whole new world for two boys who had until then considered Green Day as being where it was at. Teenage fixations with Pink Floyd, Dylan, and The Kinks fuelled the fire, and the arrival of Peter, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the coolest in 60s pop - Jacques Brel, Scott Walker and The Shangri-Las - added a further dimension to their embryonic sound and - taking their name from their favourite adjective - The Immediate were born. Newcomer Barra, who'd been a regular collaborator for some time, has since added his love of analogue soundscapes to the mix.
Early gigs took place in hotel function rooms and the unlikely un-rock 'n' roll environs of a church, where the psyche-rock indulgences of an early Immediate composition, Get Out Of My House, startled more than a few punters. The band began pursuing a novel and direct approach to getting their demo on the grapevine: a CD was thrown onstage at a Manic Street Preachers gig to a bemused Nicky Wire; even Beck received a copy that was surreptitiously slipped into his bag with a purchase at a Dublin bookstore.
One such demo made its way to the ears of Fierce Panda Records and early in 2005 that label released The Immediate's debut single, Never Seen/Say This, as a limited edition 7". XFM and Radio One played the track, and the infamous DJ duo Queenz Of Noize included the band on a compilation; a flurry of London shows ensued. It wasn't long before The Immediate signed to another illustrious independent label, Fantastic Plastic Records, to record their debut album.
In the latter half of 2005, the band entered Jacobs Studios in Surrey to record their debut longplayer with US producer Chris Shaw (Wilco, Super Furry Animals, Public Enemy, Dylan). The first recordings from this session were released in April 2006 as the acclaimed make our devils FLOW, a 4 track EP on CD and 7" double-pack. The album, entitled In Towers & Clouds is certainly affecting and crammed full of wide-eyed musical delights.
It is typical of a group whose members hop excitedly from instrument to instrument during their live shows that they should exhibit an equally restless and experimental attitude on record. Here they produce the sweetest of harmonies on A Ghost In This House and yet deliver a screaming chorus on Don't You Ever; a stomping rhythm section on Lonely. Locked Up and a swelling electro backbone for the epic In Towers & Clouds; and their flirtation with swing on Big Sad Eyes doesn't seem out of place alongside Pete's fervent lead vocal on forthcoming single, Stop and Remember.
This natural disregard of easy labeling can likewise be applied to their lyrics. In Towers & Clouds is a debut LP choc-a-bloc with sparkling tunes that bristle with ambition and ingenuity, delivering a perfectly formed eleven-track pop odyssey by music-lovers for music-lovers. As the band themselves explain, "This album is for anyone who has ever felt apart from the crowd. That's about as specific as we can be. If you want to understand fully, just listen to the songs."
In a live setting, as on record, these four talented musicians share vocals, guitar, bass and drums, and turn the usual gig-going experience into a much more enthralling spectacle.
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