Kobosh receive full marks for their new album

New rock awesomeness from New Zealand, via Berlin to you. 10/10...

Kobosh - Rando’s Spanish Love Boat - (out now self-released)

Being in bands is cool, for the most part. You hang with your buds, you play and play and play some more, then you get to play gigs, and sometimes, if you’re cool and reasonably un-cackhanded, they begin to be less than terrible. And sometimes you will even find yourselves not playing first on the bill, and even sometimes more than three people turn up, and one day some of them even start dancing. It’s cool. But then you want more. You want to be middle of the bill, and playing stages, and through decent PA systems and with better amps. Because ultimately, you want to be the best, or one of the best. And then it happens. You show up for your gig, perhaps you’re headlining, gruffly nodding at the fresh faced younger band in the corner tuning up, thinking, yeah, this should be a good one. And they go onstage, and blow you out of the water. And suddenly you realise, this is as good as it gets. I’m just never going to be in a band as good as that. That is exactly what I thought when I first listened to Kobosh; there simply isn’t a weak link going on here. Their music, roughly a mixture of FNM, Primus and Incubus with the melodious vocal stylings of Barenaked Ladies, is cleverly constructed, with deep, mysterious lyrics, expert dynamic arrangements and a crisp production. Every member of this band can play your favourite band into a crying ball of shame – their chops are white hot and sizzling. And this is only their first five-track EP – a statement of intent which should have the world of rock literally tumescent at the prospect of more. Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, the Kiwi fivesome have taken the entirely understandable decision to relocate to Germany’s fashionable Berlin in order to hock their musical wares. They have an absurd sense of humour, draw elements from prog rock, pop, metal, klezmer, reggae and funk to brew their musical recipes, and fuckadonkeywithastick, if they don’t make your balls dance. Mine are jigging round the kitchen as I type, which is really putting my flatmate off his toast. I would guess “Rando’s Spanish Love Boat” is some kind of hil-yarious in-joke probably about one of their mates (the final track is called “Rando’s Sunday Roast” which is what I base my
lies theories upon) and contains lyrics about putting sugar in your tea and other such impenetrable sillinesses. Since recording it I am reliably informed that they have got even better, which is why I am betting my teeth on the fact that they will one day be huge, if there is any justice. Which there isn’t, but in their case they may just be so good the unjust music business may be unable to resist them. I couldn’t like them any more if they promised to donate all the money from their recording career to paying prison inmates to kick Ian “Not The One From Steps” in his dirty balls.
Listen to “Rando’s Spanish Love Boat” in its entirety, and purchase a copy, at: http://kobosh.bandcamp.com 10/10

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