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The Dharma - I Dance Like This EP
Released: 11 May 2009
Genre: Rock
Style: Indie Rock
Arctic Top Track: You Call Me
Arctic Rating: 
Review by: Rich Pickings - 21st May 2009
Mick Jagger may have been born in a crossfire hurricane, but I was born in Leeds, the city which has wisely shed it's goth history in recent years to become the unofficial capital of indie rock n' roll. That is, if anyone can tell me what "indie" actually is in 2009: to my ears there's no difference between the last Kooks album and the Pampers-pop of the Jonas Brothers.
So someone's gotta save the music's mortal soul, right? If Tom's forgotten his roots and Pete's a mediocre prick without Carl, then we need some heroes here, 'cos otherwise I'm going to wear out my Employment MP3's and throw myself upon the mercy of the friggin' Maccabees.
Cue The Dharma, a bunch of hometown chips of t'old block who on the strength of I Dance Like This are just what the rebellion-is-a-haircut "scene" needs to wrestle the initiative back from all the eighties-chiseling scenesters around us. Wisely they've gone back to basics, recognising that the simple recipe for success here is splicing the energy of punk with new wave's short arm chops, then throwing in a dash of The Kinks Merrie Olde sixties pop for good measure. Suitably informed, opener Yes, I Play Guitar attaches electrodes to the leathery corpse of The La's, giving never-ending thrills via a chorus made for screaming on little dancefloors surrounded by steamed up mirrors.
Whether they've ever heard of any of the bands they sound like they're influenced by - Passwords is the best song We Are Scientists never wrote, You Call Me feels like The Killers covering The Wedding Present - there's no doubting the instant pedigree that I Dance Like This gives my favourite new best band. And I reckon that's worth having beer spilled on your shoes for.
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