Rayographs
Hidden Doors / Gold Light

5
...according to our Brian on 06 November 2008.

Fuck me. I've just read the press release for the Rayographs single to glean some info about them & everything I was gonna say about them has already been mentioned in that sprawling praise heavy document so it leaves me wondering whether I should actually say owt. If 'Hidden Doors' were a bit shite I would leave it at that but it's actually thoroughly excellent! Here we have a rolling, brooding voodoo rock treat with spidery tendrils of neo-gothic blues guitar, a ghostly female vocal that exorcizes the spirit of 60's Grace Slick or even a snatch of Patti Smith over loose, tumbling drums. It builds up slowly, compulsively, makes me swing my mental hips, a snaky, smoky ghost train ride through a dark moonlit desert. I think a lot of the excellence of this tune is in its skeletal construction, the simplicity through repetition & tension. Not to mention the wonderful spectral production! All topped with a fabulous lino-printed sleeve that looks esoterically eerie, well magick. The flip is an atmospheric treat too that reminds me a little of Life Without Buildings without the teeth grinding lyrics. I can't recommend this fabulous 7" enough. SOTW I reckon.

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What their label says...

"Invoking the restless blues spirit of proto-riot grrrl heroines in the mould of
Patti Smith as well as the dreamy tremblings of The Breeders, (The
Rayographs) provide demure elegance in a sea of grubby punks, with
pummelling rhythms strewn with forlorn, waiflike voices and surging
progressive chords." – NME
Hailing from London, The Rayographs have over the past year slowly but
surely been taking anyone that’s had the pleasure of seeing and more
importantly hearing them, by storm with their awesome mix of garage/blues
and post punk rhythms. Think a mixture of Patti Smith/Stooges/Bauhaus
with a little bit of The Ronettes thrown in and you’re still no where close to
how good these guys sound. 1960s-esque garage riffs underpinned by
angular rhythmic krautrock style drums and warm driving, yet harmonic bass
surrounded by dark atmospherics make for one of the most killer bands
around at the moment.
On this their debut 7” for Everyone We Know Records they at once sound
beautiful and fragile whilst remaining sharp, taut and sonically immense.
They’re a band that are not fearful of treading where others have gone
before but whilst doing so make sure their shoe prints flatten the ground into
something new and unrecognisable but unmistakably them.
Consisting of Astrud Steehouder - Guitar and Vocals, Jessamine Tierney -
Bass and Vocals and Amy Hurst - Drums and Occasional vocals, these three
ladies have been gaining considerably interest over the last 12 months and
to be honest are probably one of the most interesting and arresting bands
you could hear right now!
Vinyl comes in hand printed sleeve and is limited to 500 copies!