Fools

London Bureau play their brand of grunged-up rock with a degree of enthusiasm and style that captures where they are and what they like with a hint of where they want to go.

The music is raw and live; the drums capture a full and roomy sound that helps drive the faster songs into solid punk tinged territory, making the upbeat “Crook” the best moment. Fans of overdrive and fuzz, will like the approach to the guitars, which have a lightly crunching blues sound.

Another highlight is the slower, stomping “Creature”, where the band settles into an easy groove reminiscent not only of the 90’s grunge that provides a clear influence for London Bureau but also of 1970’s hard rock bands such as Mountain.

“Sour Puss” feels like an uninteresting misstep that lacked feeling or drive, with a chorus that strikes as being somewhat ‘by the numbers’, and this presents a problem that is found throughout the release.

Overall, the work here could be pushed further. London Bureau are a band with a personality but they need to let that show.

The EP falls down when the songs blur a little into each other. This would be more forgivable in a full length, but in a release of five tracks it feels a little disappointing.

Overall, Fools is not a bad debut. It does suggest a lot more than it accomplishes though. The band hasn’t yet carved out a unique sound or approach, but what they do they do well.

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