Admittedly, listening to the album for the first time a few weeks ago, I thought it to sound a bit uniform. Good but all in one tempo and mood. This would have not stopped me from writing about the album, but since then things did change. Corner Coming Up is an album filled with ear candy, slowly but surely revealing its inner secrets.
Once I started to pay real attention to The Bats' new album, things started to fall into place fast. The arrangements of the songs are subtle and rich. Within the limited confines of a four piece band a lot happens. Often a keyboard, played by singer and rhythm guitarist Robert Scott, adds just this little touch to the intricate guitar playing.
The Bats is around since 1982 and with an hiatus here and there still plays in the same line up as it started. Besides Scott, Paul Kean (bass), Malcolm Grant (drums), and Kaye Woodward (lead guitar, vocals) make up the band. Based in Christchurch the band was lumped in with the Dunedin sound of the early 1980s. With Corner Coming Up The Bats released its 11th album.
The album ends with 'Loline'. The song has just the right energy to make me prick up my ears and want to hear it again - and more in the future. It hints at the new wave the band may have played in 1982. My first album of The Bats is from 2017, at least that's what my mind tells me.
It is far removed from the opening song, 'The Gown'. It is a slow song dragging out the chords the synth plays over a slow chord progression. But listen to the soft details that spring up every once in a while and the song comes totally alive. That is exactly the trick The Bats is very good at. All the songs have these elements that make them so great to listen to. A bass note here, a subtle guitar progression there. The great harmonies between Scott and Woodward, Woodward's background vocals. Little sparks of magic sprinkled out over the band's music. The Bats moves between these two contrasts, to great effect.
None of the band's member are young any more. Having started in 1982 brings along aging. Although I have written it before, it's worth mentioning again. Robert Scott's voice sounds older than he probably is, while Woodward's still has a girl like quality. The combination is what makes both shine. The fact that The Bats have a female lead guitarist for 43 years is also something cool, as it's quite unusual for most bands.
No one knows what the future brings, but based on Corner Coming Up I'd say there's a lot more great music we can expect from The Bats. There's a lot of life in the album and band. Keep up the good work, lady and gents.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
You can listen to and order Corner Coming Up here:
https://thebats.bandcamp.com/album/corner-coming-up
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