My Octopus George put their sound somewhere between The Pixies and David Bowie. Their EP ‘Rattlesnakes in Plastercasts’ backs that up, especially on tracks like ‘Baby’s Like a Pendulum’ and ‘Tyrone, the Fat Orang-Utan Man’.
There’s attitude, enough sharp guitar work to cut yourself on and a vocal delivery that’s straight out of the Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson school of singing.
You can hear the influence of The Pixies on the album, but there’s also a freshness to the sound that’s pretty unique.
To me this smacks of the emergence of a bright new sound.
Disappointing then is the fact that the anger and energy of the first two tracks peeter out by track 3. ‘Make Me New’ and ‘The Last Chance’ lack the vitality of ‘Baby’s Like a Pendulum’ and sound like a tired cover of one of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ offcuts.
That’s a pity really as this is a fine, expressive EP and well worth a listen.
The question is not whether My Octopus George have the talent and energy to succeed, it’s whether they can sustain it.
