“Patience is a virtue” goes the saying and if that is true then fans of The Tuts are positively saintly. It’s been nearly four years since they went on their ever first tour supporting Kate Nash, with whom they were near permanent stage buddies in 2013. They’ve quietly been making a name for themselves by touring with the likes of The Selecter and Sonic Boom Six. I say quietly but that’s not really true is it? They’ve thrashed their instruments, shouted at us between songs and hair whipped any last doubts into submission. The Tuts make an impression which has manifested itself in a fan base that ranges from teenage girls seeing future versions of themselves to, rather paradoxically, middle aged men hearing glimmers of their lost youth in the racket emanating from the stage. It’s not been an easy journey to get here, there have been barriers in the way of their bid for world domination and I for one, was starting to have doubts if an album would ever surface at all. Ambition though is a beast that can’t be muted and Nadia Javed (vocals/guitar) Harriet Doveton (bass) and Beverly Ishmael (drums) have it in spades and a lifeline came through the medium of Pledge Music. They have entirely fan funded this debut which feels wholly apt considering how close the relationship between fans and band has always been. “Good things come to those who wait” goes another cliche but so too do fucking awesome things and The Tuts have delivered despite (or maybe because of) the weight of their own expectations. Update Your Brain feels like their destiny fully realised.
It must have been difficult choosing which of the older material to leave out and songs of the calibre of Beverley and All Too Late have been omitted and will have to remain in their original EP form. So to the classic Tuts tracks that have been included then: Dump Your Boyfriend is a mad old combination of sixties girl group pop and grunge with indie guitar squeals. It’s that age old conundrum of wanting to leave a relationship (“He took my liberty away / he clipped my wings so I stay”) but made to sound shiny and new. Always Hear The Same Shit is damn near perfect with its stop start riffs making way for a verbal assault on the music industry “wha-wha-wha what’s the point in you?” could easily be a tirade against all the acoustic male singers with beards. It’s a beautiful and fun noise that would happily blitz Ed Sheeran if he was recording in the studio next door. But then he’d probably cry. And write a song about it. Album closer Back Up comes from the same place. It is The Tut’s philosophy in one short but glorious diatribe of feedback and chanting. “How do you know if you don’t have a go?” indeed. There’ll be teenagers listening to that thinking “I’ll have a go then”
The only oldie that suffers a bit for me is I Call You Up which lacks the deftness of touch that so suited the original. That is a minor quibble because it is still a power pop wonder and would be even if it was recorded in a swamp. Perhaps the highlight of the classics is Tut Tut Tut a song that has been transformed by an added growl. Bev’s drums sounding more powerful than ever with the funkier bassline and the subtle gear shift in the second verse where Nadia goes proper gangster with “who the fuck are they anyway / by the sixth guitar solo / oh no” I’m already hoping the next album has plenty of Nadia rapping over the rhythm section. I would have been more than happy if both Do I Have To Look For Love and a new version of Worry Warrior had made the track listing but it just goes to show how spoilt for choice they were.
How wonderful it is to report that the production is really loud and not too polished. For the first time on record there’s a feel that’s pretty close to the live experience. I was never expecting the album to feel quite so full on and relentless but it is a joyous surge of adrenaline from the opening seconds. There’s more than catchy as hell tunes at play though. Lyrically there are many themes. The music industry itself is at the sharp end of their knife, most notably on 1982. It’s ridiculous infectiousness doesn’t at all hide the subject matter: a manager in the music industry out of sorts with the times: “I’m respected, well connected, I knew everyone in 1982”. What’s On The Radio takes a swipe at the abundance of male bands, or rather the lack of girl bands given a chance in the industry. “I don’t like it / I wanna fight it / I wanna fight it” and they really are fighting it for all they are worth. A notable mention too for its brilliant middle eight which reminds me of The Bluetones for reasons I’m not quite sure of. But sssh, they were a boy band that used to get played on the radio.
In the political unrest of Give Us Something Worth Voting we hear “Your strategies keep us alienated / we’re demonised just because we’re frustrated” but the catchy ska beat belies the message and when we get to “people power / knock down Tory Towers” we want to smash the system with a smile on our face. But then toppling the Tories would bring a smile to your face wouldn’t it? While this is a very socially conscious album there is no sense that we are being preached to and no desire to fester in negativity. They’re saying everything they have to say but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time in the process. Come along for the ride, a degree in sociology isn’t necessary. Sexism and the patriarchy is a strong running theme too but it is channelled into a positive anger. Proactive not reactive. There’s no introspection bringing things down. There’s only one song that sounds remotely reflective and that’s the acoustic ode to friendship. You’re So Boring is a floaty lullaby where Nadia presumably disses her fella “(I’d rather be out with my friends touring”). Bantz over boys, being with the band beats arguing over who’s turn it is to do the washing up.
Update Your Brain draws from its influences and moulds them into something fresh and exciting. It is their declaration of intent, it is all their previous experience and ambition bottled up and spewed out into one near perfect slice of musical youth. It is the embodiment of what all the greatest debut albums are borne from – a need to escape, a will to challenge the norm. Noel Gallagher was once quoted as saying he’d written everything he wanted to say on Definitely Maybe and while it’s likely many artists feel the same about their first material, for The Tuts there’s still plenty of injustices to fight, barriers to surge over (literal and metaphorical), as well as all those glass ceilings to break with excessive hair whipping. 2016 needs The Tuts and the patriarchy will soon know it. 9/10
Lazy journalist style comparisons:
Echobelly – ON (1995) Pure power pop perfection
The Libertines – Up The Bracket (2002) Update Your Brain’s more jangly moments have a Libertines vibe.
Green Day – Uno! (2012) No holds barred punk fun
DIGITAL OBSERVATIONS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.