Action Plan - Stendhal

It's always handy to keep an eye on which new bands Young and Lost Club are championing at any given time. For they have provided releases from the likes of Larrikin Love and Good Shoes in 2005, both going on to sign for major labels after being lauded across the board by all and sundry. So when the Action Plan single arrived on my doormat, it would be an understatement to say I was excited. I half-knowingly skipped the press release and stuck this straight in the CD player.

Action Plan are not what I was expecting. But sometimes it is that surprise element that pulls the punches. Stendhal is a track that differs hugely from the hooky melodies and dance friendly tracks from the above Y & L bands but it still manages to captivate on a somewhat deeper level. Right from the start you are transported into a sense of epic darkness. The vocals are simultaneously so effortless yet so meaningful. You are under no illusion that this is a bunch of high school leavers with high voices and no ambition. Often heavy bass is melded into a fast paced drumming sequence to retain a feeling that they aren't just going over old ground throughout the song. Although analogies are not my forte, Action Plan are what might become if you cross-bred Razorlight, Interpol and Nirvana. While visually it would be somewhat horrific depending on what traits crossed over, audibly the result would be the perfect blend of catchiness, soul, twilight and indistinguishable noise (with a z!).

There is passion in every word. You can feel it.

4 /5

Sahil Varma