Jun 09 2008 10:44 am,

The Rascals
‘Rascalize’
(Deltasonic)
Wirralian trio The Rascal’s hearts, whatever you’ll read elsewhere, are more in a similar vein to Scott Walker and the Bunnymen in more dark-psych mode than any number of more contemporary reference points, and certainly the likes of the nearly-dubby ‘Freakbeat Phantom’ or the rather excellent ‘I’ll Give You Sympathy’ are the work of a band with a great grip on their own aesthetic. “It’s a whorehouse in here,” sings Miles Kane on ‘Fear Invicted Into The Perfect Stranger’. You could read that yelp, if you wanted to, as the words of someone who has gazed into the abyss and is both compelled and repelled by what he’s seen. An assured and intriguing debut, both blurred round the edges and sharp when it counts.
Rev. Shoo

