English Rock: Ambulance LTD's New English EP

I missed Ambulance LTD their first time out, and if the New English EP is odds and sods, then you need to hear these editing room floor scrap sounds. The title track is a walkabout through the garden with a Britrock, bluesy swagger lifted by a surprising use of mandolin. “Arbuckle’s Swan Song” takes the Britrock through a jazzy, R&B pool. There’s the Telly Savalas chorus (“Who’s got love for you?” similar to Kojak’s “Who loves you, baby?”) while sung with falsetto harmonies akin to the Doobie Brothers. There’s a live version of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” featuring my favorite guitar part here. It’s a psychedelic treatment on a Britrock blues, and if it wasn’t so easygoing, it would snarl with Jagger’s swagger. The acoustic 8-track home demo “Heavy Lifting” feels like the acoustic core of a Coldplay song. “Sugar Pill” (Demo Version) finds a disco Donna Summer combined with the Chemical Brothers and Radio 4. With this EP in hand, I’ve been trying to call 911 and get more of Ambulance LTD dispatched over here immediately.

Thank you to the Ambulance LTD and TVT Records for the review copy.