The Sunshine Underground - 'Raise The Alarm' (City Rockers) Released 28/08/06

The Sunshine Underground: named after the Chemical Brothers’ Surrender track? Let’s discuss: Whereas Sunshine Underground is a softly slowly building piece of psychedelic dance subtly infused with pipes and bells, The Sunshine Underground are much harder. But still like to party. With their high powered disco dance, comparisons have already been made to The Rapture, but that doesn’t mean they are their below standard uncool British cousin. Far from it. This Leeds four piece pack one hell of a funk punch, and know how to make sure you get on those dancing shoes, even if you are much more likely to hover by the bar, pint in hand.

Almost from their inception their live acts have truly been something to behold. As opposed to having to wait until you hear the lyrics on a stale studio recording to truly ‘get’ some bands and their ethos, The Sunshine Underground have the trouble so many punk bands had of trying to pack all of the energy, speed and charisma into a stale pressed reconstruction of what they are about. Luckily, with production tag team of Dan Kahuna, Steve Dubb, Segs and Robert Harder at the helm, they have managed a successful transfer that isolates all of the instruments beautifully whilst highlighting their delightful funk leanings with vocalist Craig Wellington’s powerful and aggressive vocals vying for attention over the ruckus going on along side him.

First track ‘Wake Up’ is disarming in its’ aggressiveness and lyrics like "They try to pull the wool over our eyes and tell us everything’s going to be alright". With distortion, feedback and tinny sharp guitars, this is a dance floor ASBO waiting to happen. The stop and start structure is wonderfully chaotic and moreish, ending when you could do with an extra minute of funk. It’s a good job the next track is current single ‘Put You In Your Place’ which happens to be a crowd pleasing riot. This is acid funk with a cowbell in the back and a repetition of ‘I’m on top but you’re trying to stop me now’. It’s the way the band stop and start seemingly oblivious but still in tandem with the vocals like this is some kind of ‘new jazz’ phenomenon.

The lyrics are cynical and vitriolic, from a band of brothers who seem to have grown tired of the fake wannabe poseurs and have transferred all of their frustration into a disco attack with powerful vocals that complement the driving instruments perfectly. Feedback on Dead Scene has never sounded so good, and the interlude is dance inducing even if you’re only on your first pint.