Fraud Focus

 Perhaps not an outstanding review, in journalistic terms, but the gigs was very good. Confession: until the days after the gig I thought the middle band were called Archers.

FRAUDS/ ACHERS/ SINEWS, Divine Schism, Library, 5/9/25 

Their name suggests something taut and wiry, but Sinews’ sound is chunky, stodgy and misshapen, in the best way. Their opening numbers tonight unspool thick ropes of sludgy bass with clotted guitar that could probably mend all east Oxford’s potholes. This would be sufficiently pleasing for a Friday night, but the set extends grunge tentacles in various directions as it develops. A trio of previously unplayed songs adds some light and shade, one niggling us with a nagging high guitar line which shadows the vocal melody, adding a pedigree Mclusky sneer to their armory. 

London’s Achers are, to be honest, far more sinewy in nature, with a clean, almost emo edge to their post-punk songs. Their best tracks are built on – or is that, teeter above? - a lazily spinning bass and drums vortex, swirling, hypnotic and clattering like a bunch of mandalas in a cement mixer. Their post-hardcore/alt-punk sound is less angular than Drive Like Jehu, and more jittery than Slint, and it’s enjoyable, though some more character and a hook or two wouldn’t have gone amiss by the end. 

The instinct to compare guitar and drums duo Frauds with John is strong, but with their noisy intensity and mordant wit they’re really Big John, Big Bad John. They bombard us with serrated riffs and choppy cantering drums, but for every passionate maelstrom there’s a moment of reflection or a light-heartedly accented fill (and if the music can be witty, the band are outright hilarious between numbers, suggesting we embrace each silent interlude of tuning as “a chance to better yourselves”, like passive-aggressive life coaches). The vocals are surprisingly agile, gliding smoothly over the uneven broken ground of the rhythms, and they even drop in one or two semi-raps which sound like they’re left over from a nu metal song. Never mind sinews, this duo is a full heart, a big brain, and a well-booted foot to the backside. More please.