ANTICIPATION by AGNESS PIKE
Reviewed by Sam Shepherd (Nightshift Magazine, Oxford, UK)

It’d be nice to think that the hyphenated title that graces the cover of Agness Pike’s latest EP is a knowing nod to a particular line in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

There’s a theatrical nuance to Agness Pike that lends itself to such a comparison and although Rocky Horror’s subversive nature has been rather dampened over the years by familiarity and time (not to mention the ubiquitous fucking `Time Warp’), there’s no denying that it possesses a quirky, knowing edge.

This slightly off-centre take on established musical forms can also be said for Agness Pike, as anybody that’s caught them live can attest to. This is primarily down to the presence of vocalist Martin Spear, who always makes an effort when providing a focal point and whose vocals are nothing if not idiosyncratic. Since his days in Madamadam and Sevenchurch he’s always been adept at subverting the music he finds himself surrounded by. Stripped of his visual impact, it’d be fair to suggest that with Agness Pike he’s found a perfect match and works with the band as a whole. His mad monk vocals fit the rampant hardcore supplied by the band wonderfully, while the unrelentingly heavy crunch of Chris Brown’s guitar and Pete Marler’s bass plumb the depths ably and, when necessary, switch between introspective sections and all out thunder.

This is particularly noticeable on `Wonderful’, which is the closest the band get to sounding truly accessible. Spear himself imposes himself on the song like some kind of spectral Jello Biafra. `Anyone Out There?’ plays a similar trick. Initially keeping throttle open, before settling into a lurching grind, it eventually plays out into a peculiar séance-cum-self-help session. At face value it would be easy to take far too seriously, yet Spear’s delivery gives it a phenomenally witty edge as he channels (appropriately) any number of black and white B-movies and Dr Phil.

`Nine Cloud’, meanwhile, flits between the colossal riffing of Tad and winds up with the off-kilter playful tunefulness of Shudder To Think, which is high praise indeed. Lead track `Anticipation’ finds Spear looming large like a horny omnipotent stalker. With his frequent mentions of sexual tension, the claims of being “your saviour” and a willingness to take you to the other side, there’s a definite dark edge here that is undoubtedly unsettling.

You may even find yourself shiver in Antici-pation.

Contact: www.facebook.com/agness.pike

YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10n7g7CltA