The recent Blitzcat signees juggle punk anxiety and psychedelic gentleness across a densely packed five minutes.
Photo: Katie Foxley | Words: Lloyd Bolton
Flip Top Head introduce themselves with a twitching guitar-led groove that gets taken over by a horn part on a scale matched only by Opus Kink. This is 'Seventh Bell Number', their debut single. The band – recent signees to Blitzcat Records – step in all grandeur and swagger and remain breathtakingly unpredictable throughout the track. Across an ever-evolving five minutes, the Brighton seven-piece elucidate their impressive range and command of dynamics.
From its lounge-inflected funk-punk opening, the song transforms into a swirling freakout evocative of the similarly chaotic and numerous For Breakfast. Bowie Bartlett's vocals trace the descending guitar section before slamming into a headrush of speed, heralded by the return of Alfie Beer's furious trombone. From here, the song goes on to examine the juxtaposition of psychedelic gentleness and punk anxiety.
We reach a claustrophobically truncated close, which leaps back into the fast section of the song with startling readiness. This moment captures the ability of Flip Top Head to move as one relentless seven-headed beast. 'Seventh Bell Number' is an intense opening statement, juggling an array of imposingly huge sounds with uncanny grace.
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