HARDWARES

Texas young ‘ums Upside fall into that whole new classic rock sound, but with a twist. Unlike all those beard-pullers I fall for instantly, these guys are too young and alternative to know the rules, so it’s fresh and rockist – see ‘Monday’ which is the best Stone Temple Pilots song Dean wish he wrote. The singing’s a little earnest and Rolling Stone-cozy - even like Nickleback-lite - but guitarist Ben Mosier’s got all manner of Big Wreck ‘n’ Wolfmother chord change up his stadium-starry coat-sleeves. Basically, before this, Priestess were the edge of smarmy – now Upside define that edge. A bit fey, but man, produced a bit Zep’ed, and like I say nicely weird (‘Silence Says It All’’s got Big F and I Love You and Liquid Jesus type creativity), making for a toe-tapped trip with substance.