The Phantom Band
Checkmate Savage

A Norman Records recommendation (23rd January 2009)

This record left our Brian feeling ecstatic.

The Phantom Band are a strange but fascinating proposition. Their album is called 'Checkmate Savage' and is the first new thing i've heard on Chemikal Underground for a fair while. It's a strange lolloping beast of a record, quite uncategorisable to be honest. So i'll just pluck a couple of things out of the ether for "analysis" 'Burial Sounds', track 2, sounds a little like Soul Coughing with a twangy prog/desert rock feel and quietly intoned Scottish vocals near the start. They've a pretty eclectic but quietly defined sound, Powerful and anthemic, with a spacious production. Also the scope of ideas is very impressive. It's like metronomic 'Scotrock' with some of the finest bits of 70's exploration thrown in. They've obviously been listening to their Neu & Can but also retain a strong modern Celtic identity! I really can't recommend this record enough, it's an addictive, freeform, tribal, both a diverse yet totally coherent bugger that could easily appeal as much to fans of The Twilight Sad or Pinback as much as say, a Queens of The Stone Age/Desert Sessions fan like myself. Really, this is the best thing to arrive on this hallowed label for a long time, I implore you to give it a go!

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What their label says...

‘Checkmate Savage’ is the highly tipped and
anticipated debut album by The Phantom Band,
who have considerable word of mouth support.
· ‘Checkmate Savage’ is where Captain Beefheart
meets Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, where Neu! meets
Nick Cave.
· It brings to mind the beat savvy of The Beta Band,
the other-worldliness of Super Furry Animals and
the mood of Hallowed Ground-era Violent Femmes.

Tracks are

The Howling * Burial Sounds * Folk Song Oblivion *
Crocodile * Halfhound * Left Hand Wave * Island *
Throwing Bones * The Whole Is On My Side

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