There seems to be a resurgence of musical genre’s these days. From 80’s electro-pop groups like Cut Copy to more contemporary throwbacks with She & Him. While I’ve throughly enjoyed aforementioned bands, there is one genre in particular that I’ve always hope would make a comeback: Britpop. I felt that this genre was only starting to scratch the surface before it’s untimely death in the late 90’s. But like a Phoenix rising from Arizona (thanks Frank C.), The Ruling Class is the first band that I feel is actually continuing what The Stone Roses, The Charlatans and Ride had started.
This Swedish/English combo started by singer/songwriter Tomas Kubowicz and bassist Anton Lindberg in 2006. After little success in finding like-minded bandmates in Sweden, they relocated to London in an attempt to perhaps gain some influence. It may have been a little too late, seeing as it was almost 10 years after Britpop’s demise, which Tomas admits to in a recent interview:
“The Stone Roses was kind of an introduction – I never had any high thoughts of their debut album when I first listened to it, but when I picked up the album again a couple years later and had a listen, it totally exploded. It’s a masterpiece. I’ve never left them since.”
Eventually they managed to find a drummer and subsequently recorded their debut EP Tour de Force, produced buy Mark Wallis who’s credits include the Smiths, the La’s, the Go-Betweens.
If you’re looking get that Britpop Monkey off your back, this album is sure to be your um…banana.
P.S. - Check the MP3 for ‘Umbrella Folds’ I’ve posted below. I think the chorus sounds exactly like ‘Waterfall’ by The Stone Roses, it makes me wonder if Tomas wrote that as a kind of cheeky homage.
4/5
Tour de Force CDEP is available now on Shelflife Records.
