Scarper - Wild Cat Strike

by Olga Sladeckova

published: 20 / 2 / 2002

Label: Boss Tuneage
Format: CDS

intro

Enthusiastic new EP from Hull based punk pop act Scarper

The latest release by the Hull based band, Scarper, is definitely worth searching out. Their new EP ‘Wild Cat Strike ‘finds the band taking unbridled joy in making music and also sees them setting themselves up as a punk-pop band to be highly respected. Scarper formed in 1994 and features Micha, Kirstey, Matt, Mac and Russell. The group had already recorded a couple of singles on 7” (‘S. O. S. Bombs’ and ‘Not As Punk As You’) and then struck a deal with the English punk label Boss Tuneage who put out their first album ‘Every Turns’ and have now followed it with this EP. Across the 4 tracks of this package, Scarper manage to give a clear picture of what their music is about . ‘Blue Collar’, the leading track, is spiritually uplifting and enthusiastically includes its audience in its challenging attitude. “They hold the power, but I’m sure we have the will.” sings Mac encouragingly to his fans, while Kirstey’s trumpet, which guides the song, is easy to follow with its lightness and inventiveness. Scarper prove themselves ,not only to be great musicians, but also fantastic song writers. The thoughtful lyric of ‘Everyday Lifetime’ makes you think over your life. The music to go with it then settles in your head, but, don’t worry, only in way that is pleasant. Guitars, a base to the band’s sound and which are played by 3 of its musicians, smartly change their voices from a curious sub sound to wildly zestful eruption. Kristine’s singing on ‘Kiss The Bottle’ makes the set more gentle. It, however, doesn’t take away its overall sharpness. Scarper’s music is there to attack your hearing senses. All the songs that the records include are connected in a 4 piece chain as one song glides into another. You can always lose the end of the chain though and round it in a circle – simply by hitting “play” again.