The Rifles – None The Wiser

The original Chingford quartet is reunited for their fourth album and it has paid dividends. ‘None The Wiser’ is not their most riotous affair but is definitely the most accomplished. The album is an amalgamation of the bullish ‘No Love Lost’ and ‘Great Escape’ and the luscious production of the third instalment ‘Freedom Run’. 

The opening three songs embody this combination perfectly. ‘Minute Mile’ opens with an angular riff which launched the likes of The Rifles, The Rakes and Milburn back in 2007. As it’s the only one of its type on the album, it is a refreshing look back on the late 00s indie boom. ‘Heebie Jeebies’ follows which, is more akin to their earlier raucous tunes like ‘The General’ or ‘Local Boy’. Up third is ‘Go Lucky’, a rapturous indie gem circumnavigated via The Jam. 

These three tracks are more than just a rehash of the past though. All have their own nuances and idiosyncrasies breathing new life into the classic Rifles sound. In merging their previous styles they have created a start to album which eases fans in before they truly set off down new paths. 

‘Catch Her In The Rye’ is the standout track which treads new ground. It begins with a Talking Heads riff and drifts away with a blissful yet resolute ninety second reprise. This venture is the perfect soundtrack to a tale of an elder informing someone they need to do more to succeed in life. Elsewhere on the album, the song writing embraces Dylan-esque harmonicas (‘All I Need’) and new found sense of melancholy on ‘The Hardest Place To Find Me’. 

The aforementioned ‘Hardest Place To Find Me’ is a splice of indie gold that only The Rifles can produce and a feat they rarely credited for. Being repressed is arguably one of England’s biggest social diseases. So, when a band write a song about the subject matter and get the tone bang on they should be lauded. However, unless your singing in a generic high pitched squeal, your yesterday’s news to the mainstream music press (Mojo aside, they gave a decent review of the album in January). 




Joel and Lucas have always written great love songs. For a band associated with football, boozing and The Jam, they are really classicist romantics at heart. Their debut album featured ‘When I’m Alone’, a venous anthem about unrequited love. ‘The Great Escape’ had the hit single that never was ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (it was featured in Gavin & Stacey at least ninety seven times) and third album ‘Freedom Run’, is almost exclusively about the theme in some form. Yet despite such an easy on the ear subject matter, no airplay comes for them. They are living proof that post-Oasis, the industry doesn’t want real people running amok spoiling their marketing meetings. Maybe they’re afraid their clear desk policies will be used for snorting all their coke we just don’t know. 

This album, for TT, is a triumph. It has anthems to sing to, it has production of such quality, it will keep surprising you on every listen. The only criticism is that they haven’t got any songs which would rate nine or ten out of ten but with every song a solid seven or eight there is enough excitement and quality hear to keep The Rifles flag flying high and hoping they catch a break like Frank Turner did couple of years back. Only through word of mouth can The Rifles achieve the success they deserve, so drag your mates, missus or dad out to the next tour. They will not be disappointed. 

XFM XPOSURE: Sam Duckworth Live @The Barfly

It seems odd to think of this gig as a triumphant new beginning as Duckworth has been around for a while as Get Cape Wear Cape Fly but it certainly has an air of victory about it. He has recently signed to the great Alcopop Records and is desperate to repay their faith. So much so he is oddly nervous and tentative about his trademark between song rants. For the tightly packed crowd however, this was another affirmation of the Essex boys ingenuity.

TT last saw Duckworth under his own guise in the New Cross Inn back in 2011. It was cracking little set but very sombre. The songs from ‘Mannequin’ are beautifully melancholy and suited the one man and his guitar performance. This outing witnesses a full band in tandem and at times with two sax players, two backing singers and two violinists. The new crew lift the older songs ‘Mannequin’ and in particular ‘Nights’. With the band behind him, this number grew into a dark force of nature and became incredibly spellbinding.

For TT, the two best songs from ‘Mannequin’ are the solemn and sombre ‘Angels’ and ’18 to 1’. Duckworth thankfully plays these without the band and the achingly beautiful melancholy tone shines through, leaving an audience emotionally exhausted and stunned at the power of one man and a guitar. 

Duckworth’s new material goes down well tonight. His songwriting remains firmly in a purple patch as he stretches himself to filter in influences by Elvis Costello and Belle and Sebastian. It is always inspiring to see an established artist challenging themselves, so, how apt that his protegee Sean McGowan is in the audience to witness this showing. We couldn't think of a better guy for Sean to be mentored by or one we hope they collaborate with in the future.

Also on the bill were soon Radstewart and Emperor Yes. Radstewart’s frontman is a joy to behold. Full of dark humour and irony he is a dead cert to become an icon for a generation. He appears to be bored half the time like The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman but no-one in the audience can take their eyes off him. Adding to that, he has a sublime voice which sounds like Art Brut’s Eddie Argos and Stephen Malkmus. TT predicts a big future.

Emperor Yes were a breath of fresh air as they put the fun back into indie music. They are evidently hail from the school of Flaming Lips and Postal service which, lets face it, is always a good thing. As John Kennedy said after their set ‘who thought a song about wasps could be so goo’. Here Here.