American Erica Ashleson (drums, vocals) and Frenchman Guillaume Siracusa (guitar, vocals) are Special Friend. They've recorded records before on Howlin' Banana Records, and other good labels, but Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In, their latest, is on the fine Skep Wax imprint.
This is overall so good that I'm sort of surprised that I didn't hear of this band before this release. There are a bunch of points of reference for approaching this: Galaxie 500, Yo La Tengo, Young Marble Giants, Stereolab, etc. But Special Friend stand on their own terms, purveyors of sharp, precise indie that deserves a careful listen. "Selkie" has a bit of a snap to it, while "Silver Lime" suggests a mix of Velocity Girl and Bettie Serveert. While "Fault Lines" has fiery guitar-lines like those from Ira Kaplan, the spry "Inertie" is the one that I keep coming back. Remniscent of Unrest, the nimble notes dance around the vocals here with just enough intent to give this weight. It sounds like it's coming apart on first listen, but a couple of more spins reveal a kind of design like not only Unrest but The Durutti Column (only with vocals). Things wind down on "Hard to Explain", a thoughtful selection near the end of the album.
Until the Flames Come Rushing In is deceptively modest in approach, but assured in scope. Erica and Guillaume have produced something that's got a natural confidence about it. While lots here can be traced back in terms of sound to some great stuff from our collective past as listeners, I came away impressed by how well this material seemed entirely fresh. There's clearly still some juice left in the ol' alt-rock engine, and Special Friend show a knack for firing things up in their own fashion. There's nuance and spark here, and fans of any of the bands I've named above should run to buy this album when it's released tomorrow.
Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In by Special Friend is out tomorrow on Skep Wax. The band is playing London with Panic Pocket and Swansea Sound on Friday too. [Photo Clara de Latour]