RAIDERS

"...Hush soon falls on the small upstairs room when largish ensemble Raiders gather onto the stage. They’re a new band but still express a quiet confidence, and the crowds’ moment of silence that’s no doubt loaded with expectations and wonder, doesn’t terrify them. It also doesn’t excite them; like professionals, they pick up their instruments with their minds firmly on the set and launch into a gentle guitar riff played by Aron Ward (Colour of the Sun). They are almost the polar opposite of S.J. Esau, with structured lyrics as opposed to snapshots and more submissive drumming (John Bell, also of Model Boat) rather than thump-wallop.

Singer, Joanna Bennett (ex-Bare Threads), sounds as if she may have had some formal training, but soon switches to vocal depths of surprise alike to PJ Harvey, complete with funky flourishes almost reminiscent of Gwen Stefani. As singers go, she’s a real find, but Bennett isn’t holding the band; they hold one other and in ending just their first piece, “Lone Rowboat”, it becomes apparent they are one to watch in 2013.

Raiders are a song band, but amongst catchy refrains (“Birdsong”, especially) and gentle hooks, there is also detail in arrangements. Keyboard is prominent as well as guitars (Stephen Kerrison, ex-Safetyword, Iron Crease, ANTA, as well as Ward) and the songs are varied. They seem to enjoy their closing track “Night Song” the most, but the songwriting doesn’t quite measure up, seeming one chorus too long and in this they lose the intensity that was fiery throughout the rest of their set. Despite this minor blunder, as the band modestly pack-up (with not so much as a word to the audience) an electronic sample plays as a sort of outro and the listeners feel cheated out of lauding them with applause. The outro finally ends and Raiders get their due..."

January 2013 Drunken Werewolf
- Drunken Werewolf