Filthy Music Review - 'Bovine: The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire'

Bovine – The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire (2013)

FDA Rekotz

Review by Jude Felton

Big, brassy balls and tunes that will stay embedded in your head; that’s what the hell Bovine deliver on their delightfully titled The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire album. This isn’t a twee cheeky and quirky slice of music; instead it is a flat-out blast of guitar-driven excellence. Believe me when I say that I couldn’t oversell this if I tried.

Hailing from big, bad Birmingham, Bovine have delivered an album rammed full of fantastic tunes that start just as soon as the intro, Barium, lulls you into a false sense of security. After that, it is straight into the double-whammy of Ghost Chair and quite simply superb Thank Fuck I Ain’t You. Catchy tunes don’t have to be disposable, and Bovine prove this in spades.

Playing a blend of stoner, sludge and grunge, yet never really falling completely into either one, it is quite apparent of Bovine’s influences here. You’ll hear moments of bands like Queens of the Stone Age and the earlier brash Soundgarden, however Bovine, instead of being tied down by their influences they embrace them and add their own raucous style to the music.

The vocals perfectly compliment the driving guitars and almost tribal drumming, giving The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire a completely well-rounded feel. There really are no weak points here, which in itself is a rarity, and if Bovine aren’t huge in the very near future there is something very wrong in the world.

With more meat that a butchers’ shop window, Bovine have delivered an album that is absolutely killer. You’ll be winding down your car windows, cranking the volume and scaring the hell out of all you pass. This is pure infectious joy, and without a doubt is already one of the albums of the year. Expect to be hearing a lot about this mob for months to come, so do yourself a favor and pick up this album; you’ll be glad you did.

Tracklist:

1. Barium
2. Ghost Chair
3. Thank Fuck I Ain’t You
4. Heroes are What
5. The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire
6. The Battle of the Sinkhole
7. Aneugenic
8. I Will Make You Real
9. Military Wife
10. Not Another Name

The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire is released by FDA Rekotz and is available now.