It's been nearly two years since the last we heard of Guardian Singles. The wait was worth it. Feed Me to the Doves, the New Zealand outfit's new release on Trouble in Mind, is one of this week's best new records, and certainly its most energetic.
Opener "Chad and Stacey" roars out of the gate with force and pep, while "Pit Viper" secured its place on my Top Tracks of 2023 list upon first listen. Like a jangle-pop band covering a hardcore number, or vice versa, this one hits a sweet spot of both tunefulness and power, no mean feat. "Manic Attraction" is heavier still, part Band of Susans and part Wire, while "Com Trans" revs up even further. Never once here on Feed Me to the Doves do Guardian Singles forget the hook, making this one of the catchiest loud records since those from Dag Nasty and Royal Headache, as far as I'm concerned.
This line-up -- Thom Burton (guitar, vocals), Fiona Campbell (drums), Yolanda Fagan (bass), and Durham Fenwick (lead guitar) -- catch fire here, on this, their first full-length as a band. Campbell spent time in Vivian Girls and there's a similarity in attitude here, though Guardian Singles seem to be taking more cues from the punk of the past, rather than the pop, though the tunes are big as hell regardless. There's no let-up in the energy on Feed Me to the Doves and the record has a re-listenable quality that's going to be hard to equal in 2023. Yes, it's really that good.
Feed Me to the Doves by Guardian Singles is out on Friday via Trouble in Mind.
[Photo: Frances Carter]