BRAIN DISEASE
RELEASED 8TH JUNE 2015, MOUNT OLYMPUS RECORDINGS
It’s not quite an album, it’s definitely not a single, it’s a big, fat, juicy E.P from Brighton noisenik Theo Verney. He’s rockier than Brighton Beach and is as 70’s as Abigail’s Party (but waaaay cooler). ‘Brain Disease’ has landed and will send you into paroxysms of aural wig-out pleasure.
Opener, Brain Disease, sets the tone perfectly. Squalling feedback, heavy riffage and cymbals that crash like they’re bouncing down a council block’s stairwell. But then Theo’s voice knocks at the door, and lets a bit of light in. Wah Wah, reverb and some neat tempo changes add a psychedelic frisson. It’s pop, it’s heavy rock, it’s sweetly gritty and perfectly formed at a fraction over 3 minutes. One down, four to go. It’s gonna be a good one…
Second tune? Mountain Rose. Countdown on drumsticks…garage feel. Hmmm, Ian Brown-esque vocals. Stone Roses on speed? Slows down for a BIG chorus. Creative fretwork. Sounds like Theo’s having fun. Third up. Wrong Again. Quieter and more contemplative. Nice strumming. Not long before it unleashes though. Hate Within. Blues-y intro. Quiet/loud. A dabble with the FX pedal. Closer, Same Look in my Eye is pure Californian rock. A lovely stoned bassline. Mellow guitar.
Phew. We’re exhausted. Theo has a nice bag of tricks, a sustained weightiness to his sound, and his 70’s influences are clearly audible. He’s got a fierce energy, great voice and a nice collection of pedals making him sound more than just one man. It may sound distorted at times, but we reckon it’s very clear that we need to see him in a small room with a cold beer, and be prepared to leave with a smile on our face and EARS RINGING.