Album review: The Bohicas – The Making Of
In its purest sense, the “making of” The Bohicas can be attributed to a mutual love of The Kinks, The Beatles and Ray Charles, fashioned by the emergence of a new and innovative post Britpop style of guitar band. When it comes to their debut album, it is pretty obvious after a few listens that The Making Of this Essex band is much more than just a rehashing of these particular influences and styles. Though it is not an album that is going to buck any kind of tradition, it is one that sits comfortably in its own skin.
Opener ‘I Do It For Your Love’ is a catchy Cars style track that flexes some guitar muscle whilst at the same time throwing out a hooky pop chorus. This balance between sensitive pop and twin turbo testosterone fuelled rock is a running theme on the album. From the bass strut of ‘Girlfriend’ through to the feel good 70s vocals on ‘Only You’ and ‘The Making Of,’ Arctic Monkeys’ AM is definitely a big influence. ‘Where You A’t and ‘XXX,’ jitter with garage punk. ‘Swarm’ is a bombardment of Strokes style angular guitars and is one of the album’s standout tracks. Aside from singer Dominic McGuinness’ soft timbre it is a snarling aural assault. By the penultimate track, ‘Upside Down and Inside Out,’ guitarist Dominic John seems to be knocking out riffs for fun with all pop sensitivity abandoned, proving that they can emulate their rock gods – “I’m on a stairway to heaven like a bat out of hell”. A lyric like this could signal the death knell for most bands, but for The Bohicas it typifies what they are all about. A rock and roll band with a levity that brings splashes of character to a tried and tested sound.
