The Crookes: future indie-rock stars?
Photo Courtesy of The Crookes – The Crookes most recent album, “Lucky Ones”
The Crookes are a four-piece indie rock band hailing from Sheffield, England. The band has a prototypical “Brit-rock” sound, with jangling guitars and melodic, upbeat vocals.
Although the indie rock genre has recently been flooded by Brit-rock bands like the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Kooks, The Crookes do not sound exactly like any of their current British compatriots.
Their sound is rooted in 1950s and 1960s rock and roll, but it also features nods to some of the greatest alternative rock bands of the 1980s. They would easily fit in a lineup of The Smiths, New Order, and The Cure. Their guitar-driven sound, laden with reverb, is a welcome throwback in a world that has seen a decline in overall popularity of rock music. Their songs are lively, and encourage their listeners to get up and dance with their sweet, catchy melodies.
Their latest album, Lucky Ones (2016), builds upon their already solid foundation of creating wistful pop anthems, and it delivers robust guitar riffing and lyrics that anybody will want to sing over and over again.
The lead single “I Wanna Waste My Time on You” finds its roots in the reverb filled, guitar and synthesizer driven golden age of the 80s, but adds modern flavor that will have you singing the lyrics after you hear it a single time. The second single, “The World is Waiting” is almost the perfect song to blast at full volume while driving down the coast in the afternoon. It’s fast, dynamic, has an infectious beat, and a chorus that everyone can yell at the top of their lungs. The rest of the album is perfect for playing on a summer road trip to the beach and is well worth a listen.
The Crookes will be playing at the legendary San Diego venue, The Casbah, on Sept. 25th. The Casbah has hosted bands like MGMT, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Blink-182, often before they reached their worldwide fame and popularity. If you’d like to catch The Crookes as they’re about to hit the big-time, tickets are on sale now.
Written by, Walker Chuppe, Arts & Culture Editor