Listen: Menace Beach - "Tennis Court"

24 June 2014, 18:45 | Written by Jamie Cunningham

(Tracks)

(Menace Beach)

After making a bold first impression with EP Lowtalker last January, Menace Beach seemed to emerge out of nowhere as being one of the most exciting new bands from up North. Some of the hype behind the band was that MJ (from Sheffield psych-extroadinaires Hookworms) was part of the line-up, but over time the story seemed to bleed over that Menace Beach was just a Hookworms side project, rather than being a living breathing entity of its own.

New single “Tennis Court” however effortlessly shrugs off any Hookworms influences despite MJ’s membership, trading the deep hypnotic basslines of the latter for a new garage-influenced breezy indie gem that should rightfully be credited to guitarists/vocalists Ryan Needham and Liza Violet. Nestor Matthews (drums) and Matt Spalding (bass) also play their much-needed parts.

With the inclusion of Joanna Gruesome’s Alan McArdle on backing vocals, “Tennis Court” matches Violet’s sultry vocals with a simplistic garage-influenced riff. The chorus is where the track really comes alive however, descending into insatiable indie-pop that owes as much to The Count Five as it does to Ty Segall and White Denim.

Double A-side “Tennis Court” / “Lowtalkin’” is released on 1 September via Memphis Industries, with the band’s debut album due later this year.

Live:
11 July - East Village Arts Club, Liverpool
12 Jul - Sub89, Reading w/ The Cribs
25 July - Tramlines, Sheffield, w/ The Cribs
1 August - Ynot Festival, Derbyshire
10 August - Beacons Festival, Skipton
20 August - Southsea Festival, Portsmouth