Johnny Foreigner’s 2011 third album ‘Vs Everything’ mutilated any notion that they’ll ever deviate from frenetic, directionless, bass-sucked ‘art rock’, so it’s business as usual with the release of their spaghetti-mess fourth. The Birmingham band revel in their manically whipped froth of needly riffs and terrier-yap boy-girl vocals, but while their energy gets them over the line live, on record the chaotic likes of ‘The Last Queen of Scotland’ and ‘WiFi Beach’ show little planning beyond, ‘LET’S PLAY EVERYTHING AS FAST AS WE RUDDY WELL CAN!’ They’re living proof that hard touring, an indier-than-thou attitude and a frequently updated blog are no substitute for good songs, and as such the clamp attaching them to the toilet circuit shows no sign of loosening.
Jamie Fullerton