Pure Assassins - Questions
by Adrian Janes
published: 20 / 2 / 2023
Label:
Pure Assassins
Format: CD
intro
Formerly on the drum and bass scene with Calyx, Chris Rush now goes rock with Pure Assassins but doesn’t truly slay
Chris Rush was first known as a drum and bass artist as a member of Calyx in the 1990s. Under the guise of Pure Assassins, he’s created an album that chiefly draws on a host of rock influences while splicing them with those electronic roots. In fact it’s not always possible to tell if this largely riff-based rock is played on a guitar or keyboard (Rush is credited with both as well as singing). The title track opens the album with some rather strained vocals from the grunge school, over a slow, sludgy backing somewhat like latter-day Gary Numan. The chorus of ‘Time Machine’ similarly evokes Nirvana, while the jerky funk of its verses moves through Red Hot Chilli Peppers territory. The crisp rhythm of Tom Hooper’s drums brings the Peppers to mind again on concluding track ‘Sing Their Song’. Allied as they are with a ferocious Led Zeppelin-style riff, the combination makes for the album’s most exciting track despite the vagueness of its anti-conformist sentiment, albeit one elevated by a gospel choir (“We’ve gotta change the song”). Vocally Rush, though British, for the most part sounds as if he would fit right in with any number of American rock bands – a voice not lacking in power or expressiveness (e.g. his plea to “Dance with me so I can feel/Feel alive”), just not particularly distinctive. In a like manner, there’s often something familiar with the album’s basic musical style, though there are details that help distinguish the tracks, from the electric piano touches on ‘Dance With Me’ and the treated vocal interludes and acoustic guitar of ‘Spin ‘Til The End’, to the movement from string synth and military drums to guitar of Nine Inch Nails dirtiness during ‘By My Side’. Meanwhile ‘Heathen’ and ‘Easy Trigger’ are strong rockers, Hooper’s solid yet deft drumming again important for their impact. With Chris Rush having moved from the dance scene into rock, what the potential musical collision of the two worlds could produce seemed promising. As it is, many of the musical answers to that question which are given here have already been offered. Perhaps Pure Assassins will need to go further towards uniting the extremes to really create a killer album.
Track Listing:-
1 Questions2 Time Machine
3 Dance With Me
4 Heathen
5 By My Side
6 Burn The Sun
7 Spin ‘Til The End
8 Easy Trigger
9 3 Monkeys
10 Sing Their Song
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/pureassassins/Play in YouTube:-
Have a Listen:-
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Banter - Heroes
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart