Essex-based Domino signees The Bohicas (an acronym for “bend over, here it comes again”) have been on our radar ever since they released ‘XXX/Swarm’ back in 2013. It was an impressive first couple of singles, and enough to realise that the leather jacketed outfit had huge potential to transcend the small gig circuit and crack the bigger stages.
Now with eleven tracks of arena-ready choruses set to explosive, hook-heavy guitars and frantic drumming executed to a level that the best punk and rock ‘n’ roll bands manage, they seem well on their way with ‘The Making Of’.
They also have a staunchly charismatic frontman in Dominic McGuinness. He comes from a talented family and, like his brother and fellow Domino-signee Eugene, manages to harness elements of The Beatles and The Kinks with a more direct rock sensibility. His extroverted nature comes through well in the lyrics which are often bold statements, mostly about chasing a girl. Admittedly it’s hardly a new approach of lyricism, but when something classic is done well it’s hard to discredit.
The production on the album helps it shine too, with a string of impressive names: Mark Rankin (Queens Of The Stone Age, Bombay Bicycle Club), Chris, ‘Merrick’ Hughes (Tears For Fears, Adam And The Ants) and Oli Bayston (Toy, Boxed In). Together they’ve produced an album which manages to sound slick while also capturing the raw energy of the band’s live sound.
‘The Making Of’ might’ve just set the bar for what a guitar band are expected to achieve with a first album in 2015.
