Fight Like Apes – The Whigfield Sextape
Fight Like Apes, or simply FLApes if you prefer, will release their first record since 2011 on Monday (May 12). Hailing from Dublin, the band have already released two albums. Both were nominated for the Choice Music Prize, the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize, awarded for album of the year. They launched a campaign on fundit.ie last year to try and fund album number three and reached the required target in a matter of days. The new four track EP Whigfield Sextape is a precursor to that album and is released in conjunction with Alcopop! Records after an amicable split from Model Citizen Records who had released the previous records.
The band made the EP’s opening track ‘Crouching Bees’ available in music video form back in March. It has many recognisable hallmarks of FLApes, but with some of the rough edges smoothed out. I do miss the rough edges a bit, they were key to the charm of the band’s earlier releases. That’s not to say the track isn’t enjoyable, I expect it will receive plenty of radio airplay over the coming weeks and months.
There isn’t long to wait for a return to the more typical Fight Like Apes’ sound, second track ‘bwah!’ comes with all the absurdity I expect from this band. ‘The Hunk and The Funplace’ is up third, sitting somewhere between the first two tracks in its style. It has a very catchy chorus and could well grow to be a big sing-along track at live shows.
Last but not least, the EP comes to a close with ‘Tyson’. Of the four tracks this is the one that feels closest to the band’s previous work. The song moves from a simple beginning to a chaotic ranting end in a very pleasing manner.
Whigfield Sextape could almost be considered a single release rather than an EP. The lead track is nicely polished to sound good on the radio, while the rest of the tracks sound more like B-sides aimed squarely at fans of the band, who will no doubt cite them as some of their favourites.
Release Date 12/05/2014 (Alcopop!)
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Silent Radio Editor-in-chief. Watching excellently crafted live music is one of the great pleasures I get to enjoy. Having too often seen excellent bands fail to garner the attention I believe they deserve, I'm here to spread the good word of the under-appreciated musical performer. I encourage everyone who is reading this to do the same. Get in touch if you'd like to do that here.
