Joanna Gruesome at SeeSound

An excellent double hander from whippersnappers Trust Fund and slightly older whippersnappers Joanna Gruesome that I can whole-heartedly recommend.

There’s a melodic trio of tracks from JG, Jerome (Liar) is almost Go-Go’s, seemingly upbeat and a perfectly brief piece of indie pop.
J&MC feedback accompanied slow-burn Satan could have been written by Malory Knox (the character not the band), morphine slow violence seethes behind it’s tuneful surface. Finally, after another squal of feedback, right chiming Television guitar meets Primitives pop on Coffee, a standout from last Indie Tracks festival set.

The archly named trust fund are giving better value in the minutes department and the more upbeat selection makes a welcome counterpoint to Gruesome’s set. Trust Fund are from Bristol, sound like a “collective”
and make dreamy Indie Pop with a brain. Sounding a bit like a reined in Broken Social Scene but with a more joyful harmony vocal approach that is a little 60’s… and a little stoned. The songs are gentle (rather than weak) – the pace is fastest on Scared but even then it’s bubblegum aggression, Jonathan Richman jitters. They float away finally on No Pressure, a Twin Peaks small town reverie that has the confidence not to rush, No Pressure an indeed appropriate title.

The bands have little in common beyond the Indie Pop pond they swin in but complement each other’s sound very well. Too often split singles have one very obvious “winner”. Here it’s a photo finish for first place.

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