I don’t often like comparing bands to other bands, because that can seem limiting — and I like my bands to always surprise me. But upon listening to The Slow Readers Club, and in particular their single release, “Plant The Seed” from their latest album Cavalcade, I immediately thought of ’80s Depeche Mode, and I mean that in absolutely the best way possible. They’ve also been (rightly) compared to Joy Division, Interpol and The National. But they take that gloomy vibe and do their own unique thing with it. Yes, there are those familiar dark tones along with their trancey electro-pop, but it’s then interwoven with a falsetto vocal here and there, going back and forth, and the result is shiver inducing.
Based in Manchester, U.K., their debut single was “Sirens,” which appeared on their 2011 debut album. That song was strongly supported by Q Radio, NME and BBC Introducing, and they’ve built up a big following since then, with additional airplay on BBC 6Music, r101 (Italy) and Virgin Radio (Italy). They’ve performed at various festivals such as the Isle Of Wight, Party in the Pines and the Blackthorn Festival.
One thing I found especially haunting and compelling was a stripped-down performance of “I Saw A Ghost” at Manchester Library — stunning. This kind of acoustic session is a very big deal for me because it’s there that exceptional musicianship truly shines. Bravo!
Slow Readers Club are currently in the midst of a U.K. tour. They’ll be in Liverpool on the 27th, Manchester on the 28th, Preston on December 5 and in Glasgow, Scotland on December 12. See their official site for details. See them if you can and pick up Calvalcade (on Scruff Of The Neck Records).
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