Joining fellow Northerners Wild Beasts on a quest for mutated pop brilliance, ultCult (ultimateculture?) are a bizarre proposition. Their lo-fi Patrick Wolf meets Bjork stylings have an oddly hypnotic effect. Although probably what weirds me out most is that I checked out their MySpace then had a look in my inbox, where I discovered an email regarding the band. Co-incidence? Maybe. I had been driven to action by Dan from Brighton's popular beat combo 4 Or 5 Magicians mentioning the band on DrownedInSound.com - this is what he had to say:
"I'm sure it's some kind of conspiracy, 16 year olds can't be this good!My band when I was 16 was pretty good, but we basically just sounded like Mansun. This is actually really really clever, original stuff. Vaguely Stereolab / Electrelane-esque."He has a point and mainly makes me think that I wasted my youth. But following a little digging (i.e a google search), I discovered that a certain Gareth from popular beat combo Los Campesinos! was also a fan and here's him gushing over ultCult on DrownedInSound back in January:
"UltCult are simply the best new band (new as in teenagers forming a band and recording songs) i've heard in ages. They sound like Linda Steelyard or Sue Tompkins fronting something like Stereolab. Sometimes the singers delivery reminds me of BARR, though they don't sound like BARR. They're amazing, I love them."In fact, Gareth loved them so much, he asked them to support LC! on the Sheffield date of their tour in February. That was ultCult's fourth gig, and they'll be supporting Gareth et al in a couple of weeks in Bradford too. Alright for some eh?
I love traditional pop songs but there is a mysticism and unpredictability to ultCult that I haven't heard in a band since Late Of The Pier in 2006. And look how far they've come. Like Late Of The Pier, I haven't a bloody clue what ultCult's lyrics are about. I doubt that will hinder them.
In fact, a song like 'Tickitaboo' with its haunting (Patrick Wolf) Lycanthropy vibe would probably be eaten up by blogs if an established artist, such as Mr Wolf, put it out as a demo. As it is, it's probably my favourite from a capitivating bunch of songs, although I suspect many will look at 'Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges' (being touted as a possible single) and 'Sapphire Memories' as their most enjoyable sprinkles of ultCult magic. Others will look at them in disgust - ultCult are certainly an acquired taste.
In summary, take one glockenspiel, violin, keyboard, organ, accordian and guitar, add some unhinged vocals and you have one of the most original, dynamic, and fascinating bands to have emerged in the last few months.
ultCult - Tickitaboo [Yourfilehost download]//[Sendspace mirror]
ultCult - Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
ultCult - Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
They are playing a handful of live dates soon in Barnsley, London and Bradford. For those details and an opportunity to feast your ears on some more tracks, head over to their MySpace [link]
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