Specialising
in an angsty and bombastic breed of downtuned post-punk, ‘Ten
Kens’ fuse the white-hot vigor of the Liars with the dark
melodic swagger of Black Mountain and Arcade Fire to create a
captivating and volatile mix of bittersweet melody and spiked
alt-rock all stamped with their own unique delivery.
A fresh signing to Fat Cat, ‘Ten
Kens’ comprises of Dean Tzenos (guitar), Dan Workman (vocals),
Lee Stringle (bass), and Ryan Roantree (drums). With this release,
their double A-Side debut single, the Toronto based four-piece
show that they are certainly not shy, blasting out a high octane
shot of vitriol-filled post-punk and contrasting it with a moody
journey into indie-rocks underbelly.
On ‘Bearfight’, deep, pounding
drums and reverberating bass stomp and crunch with molten energy
whilst jangly guitars accentuate the tracks undeniable bounce.
The captivating melodics are complemented by the vocals with Workman’s
voice exploding forth with a rich harmonic texture that remains
rooted in a raw and edgy punk-rock aesthetic, something which
is made all the more tangible and forceful thanks to well arranged
backing vocals. On the flipside, ‘Y’all Come Back
Now’ proves Ten Kens aren’t a one trick pony as it
showcases the band in a more atmospheric frame of mind. The energetic
crunch is pegged back for a drunken and moody landscape that surprisingly
(and gloriously) morphs into a dreamy, Stone Roses-esque slice
of psyche-drenched indie-rock.
With their debut release, ‘Ten Kens’
have certainly made themselves heard amongst the cacophony of
indie-rockers and post-punkers and have set the stage for their
hotly anticipated forthcoming debut album. (KS)
For fans of: Liars, Aracde Fire, Black Mountain
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