Batch

Description

Batch', the debut LP by Batsch, is a glossy brochure for the cold reality of 'kitchen sink disco'. The Coventry quartet have compiled four songs from their previous EPs, 'Collar' and 'Tiles', along with five brand new ones, to present a scrapbook of nihilism and hedonism in equal parts. Sparsely arranged and entirely self-produced, this is a collection of portraits of the neglected, downtrodden and, at times, downright sinister, yet it packs hooks throughout, tightly under the listener's skin.

'Awkward Patch', the lead single, is a slice of panicked pop sarcasm, with a keyboard hook that sounds a little like Billie Jean's morning sickness. With this album, Batsch have found a sweet spot somewhere between Talking Heads, Little Dragon and Jarvis Cocker and meticulously explore the possibilities of storytelling over addictive rhythms; such as the hazy, humid groove of 'Dog', which lays forth ramblings of worrying instability as summer turns to autumn; or the deep bass, nauseous synth and percussive guitar of 'Walking Beds', which dance steadily together in a chasm of environmentally conscious vocals.

On the subject of their influences, lead vocalist and chief lyricist, Mason Le Long says, 'well, we do love the disco music, but when we started playing together we just ended up sounding more "let down" than "get down".' This modest quip conveniently sums up the band's grey, Midlands approach to making pop music and the tarnished glamour of their sound in general. 'You can be inspired by anything,' he adds, 'but inevitably it's the things immediately around you that will inspire you more.

Nowhere is this demonstrated better than 'Did You Hear About Argine?', in which Le Long narrates the bleak tale of an abandoned pregnant teenager over the oppressed and inevitable sound of Joe Carvell's creeping bass and Matt Rheeston's leaden drums, laced with icy stabs and chimes of synth from Andy Whitehead. The promise of a career in dancing, which the protagonist has forgone for her unfortunate situation, encapsulates the bands sound perfectly.

Although this is officially the band's first full-length release on Tin Angel, they have been affiliated with the label for most of the last decade. Through this connection, all four members have toured extensively not just in DON'T MOVE! (a previous incarnation of the band which released its only album, 'The New Pop Sound' with the label in 2009), but they've also made up the backing band for many other touring and recording artists, such as Laetitia Sadier, Marker Starling, Nicholas Krgovich, Devon Sproule, Baby Dee, to name just a few. With a large proportion of the label's roster coming from Canada and the US, over the last few years Tin Angel has created a cult international scene, with much cross-collaboration, and Batsch are certainly at its epicentre. So it's no surprise that the music they make when they are alone together contains the tightest of grooves and the freshest of themes; music that is as dark and brooding as it is colourful and playful.

Batsch are on tour in the UK and Ireland, supporting Laetitia Sadier, from April 6th to 22nd 2017.