January 24, 1999

Chewy

"Ash having a scrap with Placebo," claims the press release, but the reality is nowhere near so innocent

7 / 10 In which the illustrious Panda goes international. Convinced that there is shouty indie chod to be unearthed in the globe's unlikeliest corners, it here delivers a compilation of the first two singles (plus, due to no popular demand whatsoever, some live tracks! Bonzai!) by gonzoid throttlepunk pervs Chewy, from Switzerland - a territory whose previous musical achievements have consisted of The Young Gods and the theme from Heidi. Next week, the Bangladeshi Verve.

"Ash having a scrap with Placebo," claims the press release, but the reality is nowhere near so innocent. 'Chewy' actually sounds like Ash smoking Placebo's charred bones around a campfire of shredded she-Molko dresses. They howl, "Princess Leia sucks Darth Vader!" over the demonic rumblings of first single 'Prime Time' and frantically whine their way through 'All Over The Place' and 'The Big Bradford' as if they've got nasal cavities the size of Stockport. Yet somehow they make all of this bad noise and deviant behaviour sound cute. We are obviously dealing with a mind so evil they make Marilyn Manson look like Carol Vorderman.

Being Swiss, of course, there's nothing revolutionary about the way Chewy rehash 'A Life Less Ordinary' with warp ten pick-ups or dust off This Mortal Coil's string section for 'Squeaky Clean'. Being young and insane, however, they have the natural ability to make their guitars sound like Symposium falling off a very high cliff. And there are few sounds more satisfying.

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