Reverend and The Makers – Heavyweight Champion of The World

Whaddya know, only a few months ago, some guy collars me at a gig and says, “You’ve gotta check out Reverend and The Makers. They’re gonna be big.” Not one to be swayed by my peers, I nodded and filed the statement under ‘popularist stuff that I would be really embarrassed to say “never heard of him,” about.’ Now I have their debut single sitting coquettishly on a pile of notebooks at the edge of my desk. Reverend and The Makers? Never heard of him.

‘Reverend’ is Sheffield music scenester Jon McClure, a man who has been gathering his own momentum and, vibe and flock over the last couple of years, calling on the various axe-wielders of Sheffield to lend their talents to the cause. His debut single, ‘Heavyweight Champion of The World,’ has been produced by Jagz Kooner, recently seen twiddling knobs for Primal Scream and Kasabian, so it is no surprise that this track takes all the genres, sticks them in a blender and makes one hell of a musical smoothie.

First taste: Duran Duran, ‘Planet Earth.’ Don’t knock it, look at their career following that debut, not their comeback. Like that track, ‘Heavyweight…’ has a “let’s not fuck about” attitude to it, reinforced by the funky fast bassline and ‘Eye of The Tiger’ riff. Rev himself has a more neutral, mid Atlantic voice with just the slightest hint of Sheffield - a tickle on the aural palate – and delivers wittily constructed lines of an updated Marlon Brando circa ‘On The Waterfront’ ilk with casual flair and aplomb. I particularly like the reference to Camber Sands; reminded me of my childhood. When you get to the chorus, it is an impressive fusion of rock, new indie, old skool rave and new rave – a less confrontational Bloc Party sound, or even a more hearty Klaxons, heavy on the high-hat. And to garnish? Oh, but of course, a cheeky, post-ironic guitar solo. Devilish. No, straight up, this single really does straddle the genres in a way only seen at adult entertainer track meetings. Something for everyone. Too broad? Check out the other two tracks.

‘!8-30’ drops a huge chuck of electro bass on top of a dance rhythm, decorates with Balearic guitars and completes with sweetly-delivered Mike Skinner/Jamie T like lyrics. Part over-produced Ibiza parody, part serious LCD System techno heavy hitter, you gotta admire the guys range and sense of humour – the Josh Wink send up ending is priceless. Then you get the spoken word bonus, ‘Last Resort,’ a collaboration with John Cooper that sounds like an updated Stanley Hollloway monologue. Humorous, knowing, scornful observation of seaside gloom. Camber Sands again.

Personally, I’d be hard pushed to find someone who couldn’t find something appealing about The Reverend’s sound. Magpie music it may be, but no one element swamps the other, it weaves nimbly through the categories and heads straight for the top of the charts. That said, he doesn’t fanny about and over compensate. Well produced it may be, indulgent it isn’t. As genuine as the Arctic Monkeys, as infectious as Bloc Party and as eclectic as LCD Soundsystem. Maybe that guy I was chatting to had a point after all.