Aptly titled closer to a career of ups and downs
Written: Feb 27 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 2 Great songs
Cons: Something is just a demo, so sounds rough.
The Bottom Line: For those willing to seek it out, Worthy is a good single and a fine end to an unfortunately unsuccessful career.
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| flash-hammer's Full Review: Worthy [Single] by Suffrajets |
The Suffrajets were one of those bands who teetered on the brink of success so many times, but ultimately something would always come up to stop them achieving it. Built around a core of drummer Gemma Clarke and singer/guitarist Alex Ware, their original 3-piece line-up was derailed before a single was even released by a tour bus accident that left their bassist unable to tour. Clarke and Ware regrouped, took on Shelly and Sam Walker as bassist and second guitarist, and found their first flirting with success. Releasing an EP titled Hold These Eyes and a single, Distinction, the latter of which gained a strong foothold on British Rock TV channel Scuzz’s play list and earned them a fan in Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson. However, a fall-out between the Walker sisters and Clarke and Ware lead to this line-up dissolving before fulfilling their promise.
Around this time Clarke found herself rocketed into the spotlight when she took on the job of drumming for Peter Doherty’s Babyshambles, she lasted but one single and 2 tours before the excessive drug habits of the rest of the band got to her, and it wasn’t long before the ‘Jets were back, now sporting bassist Vic Kingston and journey(wo)man guitarist Clare Wakeman. This line-up first put out a download only single named Sold, before taking the more conventional route for the release of Everything You Do. Clarke’s adventures in Babyshambles had brought forth a new generation of fans, but sadly this couldn’t be capitalized upon when it came to single sales. The same problem affected follow up release, the ironically titled Going Nowhere, the weakest of the Wakeman/Kingston era singles. Work began on the follow up, today’s subject, Worthy, with the song taking a direction none of the previous singles had, as well as featuring a sublime video. However, as was the way of the band, another spanner went flying into the works when Kingston left the band before it’s release, hence her replacement Lu Small being credited on the sleeve. Sadly this would be the last release proper from the band, as shortly after it’s release Ware decided she had taken near misses and left the group. They did achieve an album, sold only through the website, though who plays bass on it is a mystery, leaving behind a trail of great live shows and a lot of ‘What if’s.
When they began life, the Suffrajets were a more grungy band, Distinction was peppered with screamed vocals, however the recruitment of Wakeman, a fantastic guitarist and also a good singer added another dimension to the band’s sound. They soon moved from the more alternative sound of the Walker sisters era to a more mainstream rock sound, heavier than the indie nonsense that they were often put next to via Clarke’s involvement with Babyshambles, but with poppy hooks. Sold even made it into a videogame.
Worthy is the most relaxed a Suffrajets song on record ever got. With a steady rhythm from Clarke and Kinsgton being built upon Wakeman’s piercing guitar while Ware presents her almost spoken verse vocals before roaring into trademark rockstar squeal at the chorus. Out of the 2 singers, Ware was always the least slick sounding, she had a sort of growl to her voice that really makes her about as close to a female Brian Johnson as you’ll get. Worthy was also unique in that it also presented her voice in an almost vulnerable light during the verses, only gaining it’s confidence when she joins in instrumentally at the chorus by bashing at her guitar. It’s also one of the most catchy Suffrajets songs without actually trying to be, there is no outstanding hook, Wakeman’s guitar work, while still lovely, isn’t as in your face Rock & Roll as in other songs. As the song fades out, it’s tough not to think the band’s songwriting and ability had come a long, long way since Distinction.
As if to prove they can still rock out with the best of them, Worthy receives backing from a demo of live favourite Something. An alternate version was on the mail-order album, but this is closer to the live depiction, complete with solid rhythm guitar from where while Wakeman’s noodles above it, before the two alternate before combining at the chorus while Wakeman chants “don’t touch me/don’t touch me/don’t touch me now!”. Lyrically it’s fairly standard relationship gone awry stuff, and the recording isn’t of the best quality (it is, after all, a demo by a less-than-huge band) but it proves that even in such raw conditions, the band were better than a lot of rock acts selling plenty of records today. It has a good hook, even without the aid of a studio Wakeman’s vocals are still good and the band are all technically proficient. All in all it’s a good translation of a song that was always a stormer live. In some ways I actually prefer this to the more polished album version, more because that version changes the lyrics to the slightly Fratellis-esque “Da Na Da”s at the chorus.
As a bookend to the career of the Suffrajets, Worthy lives up to it’s name. 2 songs different in sound, and with Worthy being very polished, production, but equally good, by one of the finest, if least successful all-girl rock acts of our time. With a bit more luck The Suffrajets could have went on to be a big band, maybe not stadium headliners, but at least as big as the masses of cack indie-rock acts out there. For those who like their rock heavier than Indie but still quite a way off being ‘heavy’ I’d recommend tracking down Worthy. It’s a definite highlight in a lengthy but sadly short-on releases career.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
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Epinions.com ID:
flash-hammer
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