Well, this is refreshing. It’s not exactly uncommon to find bands promising the world and failing to deliver, but it’s a crime We Are Losers certainly can’t be accused of. I mean, right there in the title: if they sucked you could hardly accuse them of trying to disguise the fact. They don’t suck though. They pound drums, and coax squeals and yelps out of guitars, and shout vocals that are still barely audible through the noise, but they don’t suck.
The four-piece hail from Ireland – a land that has something of a pedigree when it comes to loud, jangly guitars and muffled melodies. I’m talking about My Bloody Valentine, by the way, if that wasn’t obvious. It’s far too soon to say whether the Losers will achieve the sort of mythical, almost God-like, status of MBV, but their self-titled debut EP certainly makes all the right kind of noises. Mostly, that means distortion punctuated by feedback. One thing they don’t have in common is a love of extended (some might say self-indulgent) tracks: the longest, “Windbreaker”, clocks in at a mighty 3:19.
My first impression put me in mind of Kevin Greenspon, of all people. They share the same knack for pop song-writing, and the same apparent disdain for attempting to make their output in any way “radio friendly”. “Empty Head” is a blissed-out paean to teenage delusions of immortality; it’s got a clappy rhythm, and catchy and easily singable hook, and some funky little synth stabs to round the whole thing off. It would be chart-topping material in any other guise. Instead, Losers package it in a wash of overdrive, and deliver it with a throw-away aplomb that befits its subject matter and could not be less pretentious if it tried (obviously, because trying to be unpretentious is pretty darn pretentious). I love it.
They’re now signed to Leeds-based label Dance To The Radio, home to some of my favourite British acts of the moment, who released their debut double-A single “Sunset Song/Cheerleader” back in July. Its seen a notable polishing of the band’s sound, but it’s been produced thoughtfully enough not to have killed their rough-edged charm.
If you’re a fan of fuzzy fun, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into with We Are Losers. You can stream both “Sunset Song” and “Cheerleader” below, or follow the links to download their EP for free. My guess is that they’re not going to live up to their name, because as far as I can make out they are absolute winners.
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