The Knitts “Retreat”

This may be the debut release for The Knitts but they are a band who has paid their dues having formed around 5 years ago and built up a following playing their local live circuit and releasing EPs. This time honoured approach is also followed in their music, which is based on delivering a ‘live’ in the studio sound. It’s about being raw as opposed to any reliance on click tracks, samples etc.

You need to make sure you get past the initial opening calm of first song “Carousel” and get to the part where it grows in to a more interesting and scuzzy noise. Along with songs like “Hold Steady”, there are clear signs that The Knitts are a band with more balls than your run  of the mill indie band. The great sounding “Erotic” is a song which combines indie pop and power pop. But the song that will really get you up and dancing is the excellent “Get Up and Get Out”.

The album then offers an almost mid section break. You get the indie ballad of “Knives” followed by the flowing melody of “Lovers Take Their Own”. They then throw a bit of a glam stomp in to the mix with the catchy “She Likes”. Then we’re right back to the indie pop of “Simple Folk” and “Sorry Sunny”.

The album actually ends with its two best songs. The first is “Vamanos Mexico” which really reminds us of the upbeat indie rock which made Razorlight so huge. The albums real highlight though is “We Get Time”. A fantastic scuzzy rocker that reminds us of the sadly forgotten The Star Spangles (a great band who never quite ‘made it’).

This is one of those albums that benefits from repeated listening. On first impression it seems like just a ‘pleasant’ indie/alternative rock album. But after a couple of listens you hear that it is more nuanced than that. With each listen a new song will catch your attention. It’s a throwback to when alternative bands used to have a bit more balls and personality about them.