let's wrestle - in loving memory of (ep)

Single ‘I Won’t Lie To You’ invades the room like a drunk after closing time, clattering around shambolically for a couple of minutes before finding some other party to crash, albeit in a pleasing early Pavement-like style. For many people, the clincher for Let’s Wrestle will be the bizarrely named WPG’s equally bizarre voice. One reviewer compared him to “an asthmatic Eddie Argos” - although for my money he pitches up somewhere between the slacker drawl of Julian Casablancas and a slurred, excitable Alan Partridge. Mark E Smith is another good reference point, particularly in the disaffected lyrics, and occasionally the band come off as a less polished version of the excellent XX Teens, particularly in their shared slacker aesthetic. The only disappointing aspect of the EP is the exclusion of some killer early tracks like ‘Let’s Wrestle’ itself and the hopeless poetics of ‘Quazar Blues’ (sample lyric: “We’re going to sniff some glue, then we’re going to piss on your car, nick your cash and go to Quazar”). Expect to hear more from these guys as the year progresses, starting with their support slot for Pete And The Pirates at The Borderline, London later this month.