Looking at the underground UK bands reviewed on this site, it surprised me to notice that my personal favourites had been left out--the Computers, who hail from Exeter, like the Cut-Ups, Rat Attack and others. I first saw them a couple of years ago supporting the Loved Ones and this, their first release, is simply a 4.16 minute CD of two songs.
According to the band, these guys are trying âto fuse "rock ân' roll with hardcore," a sentiment seemingly echoed by a number of the current UKHC pack. What the Computers do so well, however, is combine old-school Black Flag and Minor Threat sound and attitude (i.e. no hint of metal or metalcore) with Chuck Berry and Elvis Costello-esque swagger and riffs. The result is an exhilarating one, like an English Bronx, or a Black Flag/Hives hybrid on meth. The tracks on offer here serve as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it introduction; "Track Four" is their live staple, equal parts twang and crunch, whilst "Is It Just Me?" offers a more varied, mid-paced experience (though it's still pretty fast).
I urge anyone in the UK to check these guys out live--I've watched them get steadily better and better over the last couple of years, and hopefully they have the potential to rise to the level of bands like Ghost of a Thousand, or even the mighty Bronx.