Enemy Brats

I enjoyed writing this review, because Secret Rivals, two scant years ago, were an awful, clunky band who spent most of their time being idiots online - and now they're really good. Nice work.


SECRET RIVALS – MAKE DO & MEND (Has Legs)


Roger Scruton and Brian Sewell probably disagree, but pop music can explore pretty much any concept or sonic vista, and attracts composers as original and adventurous as, say, opera. Having said that, as much as we like to lock ourselves away for a weekend to wrestle with Scott Walker’s Tilt whilst making notes in the margins of Dylan’s Tarantula, there’s something to be said for pop that simply offers bags of barely controlled energy and a bloody big tune. That’s where Secret Rivals come in, having knocked up a collection of bubbling pop mini-riots that should charm anyone with even a fractional propensity towards having a good time.

“Ghosting” ushers us in with a light, summery indie-funk beat and some ramshackle, chirruping Byker Grove vocals. This is pretty much the blueprint for the record: bouncy rhythms rushing hell for leather towards the end of the song, with occasional stately keyboard lines watching over them like an indulgent parent, topped off with a battle between Clouds’ smilingly tuneful female vocals and atonal Dickensian scamp interjections from Jay. If there is a fault with the record, it’s that Jay’s yelping can become wearing. On “Tonight Matthew...” the contrast between an affable melody on one side and a punky little anti-rap on the other works well, reminding us of the interplay between Bjork and Einar on The Sugarcubes’ “Hit”, but on “Blisters” you just want the squawking little urchin to shut up and leave the song alone. He’s like the annoying chumps waving signs saying “Hi Mum!” behind news reporters on location. But then he sings the mournful closing title track, and reveals an unexpected delicacy and all is forgiven.

Anyway, for the most part the unpolished exuberance of the music whisks the listener along in its wake so powerfully, that there’s simply no time to consider stylistic infelicities: it’s like asking a child to critique the label on their supermarket brand Sunny Delight rip off, when they’re too busy having a tartrazine meltdown. “These Are Only Obstacles” is the one that really grasps us, a scrappily charming little snatch of melodic positivity that makes us teary eyed for the loss of John Peel – it’s enormous fun, but has a quiet, emotional undertow, and there are also some effective touches of melancholy on “Me Vs Melodrama” and “Make Do And Mend”.

We do wonder whether Secret Rivals, who seem to be garnering some impressive attention recently, have got quite enough about them to forge a whole career, but for now this album comes highly recommended, especially for anyone who can’t bear to admit that the summer is over...and, perhaps, looking to the future and worrying about artistic longevity is for people who don’t fully understand the joyous fizz of Secret Rivals’ music. If you’re looking for sensible, grown up stuff, we hear Roger Scruton has a website.