White Ape - Drones Clones Ramones

by Benjamin Howarth

published: 17 / 3 / 2017

Label: Since Records Began Records
Format: CDS

Sarcastic but infectious new EP from London alternative rock four-piece White Ape

Review

London foursome White Ape have been gigging around the backrooms of the capital for the last few years, and found acclaim and radio airplay for their EP ‘Ape!’ last year. With an album in the works, but no firm date for when it’ll be finished, they freely admit that this new three song single is a "stopgap". Indeed, the formula here is almost identical to their last record, and was recorded in the same place too. Lead track, ‘Drones Clones Ramones’ is a younger brother to ‘Courtney Love Will Tear Us Apart’, the lead track from their previous EP, once again building a sarcastic send-up of the alternative music scene around an instantly infectious guitar riff. Frontman Tommy Mack is not blessed with a golden voice, but he commands attention with his furious delivery, snarling his way through the lyric sheet. He comes across like a Minor Threat-era Ian Mackaye, with an English accent and who has suddenly discovered a sense of humour. Around him, his Ape bandmates get straight to the point with a sharp set of post-punk reference points, delivered with such vim that it doesn’t matter at all that you’ve heard this done plenty of times before. You can’t help but feel that White Ape are a band built for an era of inky weekly music magazines and Steve Lamacq on the radio four nights a week. But, that is a time this writer would happily go back to. Bring on that album!