Piper's Son - Who Started This?

by Malcolm Carter

published: 21 / 7 / 2016

Label: Vacilando '68
Format: CD

Second album from London band Piper’s Son is another set of diverse yet beautifully constructed songs confirming the promise shown on 'The Roar from Behind', their debut album

Review

We closed our review of the debut album from London-based band Piper’s Son in 2013 by saying that it will be interesting to hear where the band go after the impressive ‘The Roar from Behind’ as they had set the bar high with that collection of thoughtful, intelligent pop music. There was no doubt a little concern that the band, led by Thom Driver who writes all their lyrics, would be able to match that debut in its lovable quirkiness, that maybe they had exhausted all their best ideas over that album; the band covered more ground in one song than many do over a whole career. ‘Who Started This?’ certainly carries on in the tradition of ‘The Roar From Behind’, but not all the songs appear to be assembled from unrelated musical scraps magically assembled into something cohesive by the band, not initially anyway. The opening cut, ‘Wake Up’, is a bright, jangly, angular introduction into where the band are today and one of those songs which immediately capture your attention. Driver’s lyrics are still sharp and observant and there’s still a hint of Barrett and Ayers in his delivery; that Englishness that will raise a smile on the face of those of a certain age. But being Piper’s Son means that it’s not too long before the song takes off in unexpected directions. This shiny indie-pop hook-filled track takes a turn into darker waters, by injecting a section where the band explore their deeper, more progressive leanings. As with the first album this is achieved almost seamlessly, and Piper’s Son have obviously lost none of that talent that allows them to shift the shape and direction of each song while still holding onto the original vision. What starts as a well-crafted slice of edgy yet accessible pop music drifts into deeper, unchartered waters as lyrically the song takes on a darker hue. It’s nothing new as many songs take unexpected diversions, but never has it been executed as smoothly and with as much class as Piper’s Son are capable of. One song in and the band have already displayed more vision and talent than others can claim over a whole album. The following ‘The Last Nail’ again showcases Driver’s acute observational skills, the brooding yet rhythmic backing adding a sinister edge to the overall sound, but once again the band haven’t forgotten to hang even their most experimental ideas to a tune and another addictive one at that. ‘Monkey’s Mouth’ is introduced with percussive sounds and guitar weaving in and out before the listener is reminded of an English indie band that are in awe of the first Velvet Underground album acting out their fantasies. That Piper’s Son do this with more class, understanding and passion than most other bands is a given by now. The band take their quirkiness to new levels on ‘Love for All the World'. A melee of noise gives way to Driver’s treated vocals. It’s one of the most imaginative, experimental pieces of music that the band have released to date, again taking in so many shifts and shapes it should really be an unlistenable mess but in these hands it evolves into one of the most exciting, complete and rewarding songs you’ll hear all year. We will all hear elements of our favourite bands in the sound that Piper’s Son create but they certainly have a vision of their own which makes each and every song on ‘Who Started This?’ a unique listening experience. The same musicians that played on ‘The Roar From Behind’ lend their skills to this latest album too, and although details are sketchy it appears that while Driver took sole responsibility for the lyrics the music was very much a band effort, and the contributions from bassist Victor Bock along with Rick Carbone, Peter Harris and especially drummer Jared Fisher, are top rate. One listen to ‘Heavy Head’, another track for which each member of the band is given the space to prove their worth, will confirm that this group of musicians was not just thrown together with no thought; despite the mass of ground covered in each song the reason it all hangs together so perfectly is down to the ability and vision of each contributor. ‘Who Started This?’ is an album that is, thankfully, out there on its own. Its unclassifiable for, as on their debut album, this band is over brimming with ideas and together they piece those ideas into cohesive pieces of music that never, even after numerous plays, fail to impress; it’s one of the year’s most stimulating albums, fresh and inspiring. The album has been available for a few months now both on download and on vinyl complete with gatefold sleeve, just as it should be, on the Vacilando ’68 label and is a gem of an album. It’s unlikely that another album with so much diverse musical vision that works so well is going to come around for some time. Catch it while you can.

Track Listing:-

1 Wake Up
2 The Last Nail
3 Monkey's Mouth
4 Love For All The World
5 Golden Leaves
6 Temporary Arrangements
7 Heavy Head
8 Foundation To Fake
9 Who Started This?