Former Bullies - Golden Chains

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Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Dave on Tue 22 Nov, 2011.

Ramshackle indie/no wave garage shizz from these Madchester ever presents. They've been around for what seems a long, long time...mebbe seven or eight of your earth years...which, if you think about it is pretty good going. So at this point they've lasted longer than most modern marriages and the amount of time since my beloved Arse last won a trophy. (SIX YEARS IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW...AND COUNTING!!! (hehe - ed)). Former Bullies are a three piece who play a sort of scrappy, slightly 60s inspired garage rock. A bit like a slowed down Thee OH-Sees, but from Salford. Their tracks hardly exceed the three minute mark, all have a slight bittersweet twinge and a rough and ready production/playing style which is quite endearing the listener. My favourite tracks are the longest one “By the Sea” which weighs in at a whopping three minutes 21 seconds. Its like Rick Wakeman never existed! The slouching, yet caustic “Born Winner”, which is an ode to being Micheal Winners offspring ,and the trail and tribulations that come with being related to the fat chinned director of “Death Wish”. Joking aside this is a really good record with tonnes of slacker charm.

Formed in their earliest incarnation way back in 2003, Manchester’s Former Bullies have seen their fair share of hip bands and empires rise and fall, with enough line up changes along the way to give fellow Manc stalwarts The Fall a run for their money. Through it all, founder members Nick Ainsworth (guitar/vox) and Tom Settle (drums) have seemed content to plough their own rich furrow of northern english garage pop, with songs like the great, bittersweet “26” (from 2010’s “Seasoned”) and “Planetarium” (2009’s “Greetings”) ringing out through the fug; understated, sardonic and brilliantly melodic by turns. Don’t be fooled by the schmo-fi aesthetic, these guys are pros. And like all true pros they make it seem easy, but it never is. With a string of releases on Manchester’s Comfortable on a Tightrope under their belts (and the addition of bassist Matthew Taylor in 2009) the time seems almost over ripe for their first studio recorded long player. CF is only too happy to oblige.

Golden Chains is fifteen tracks in just over 32 minutes on two sides of virgin 12” vinyl (or if you prefer, the whore MP3, also included) and is super limited to 250 records. As the old chestnut goes, a late contender for album of the year. Better late than never!

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