Late November and I’m freezing by nads off outside the cockpit in Leeds, whilst some bone headed doorman revels the true extent to his illiteracy. I’m on the guest list for one of my favourite bands, The National, but our friendly bouncer is having difficulty relating the sound of my name with what’s actually printed in front of him. I am aware of a not too unpleasant muffled sound coming from within the venue, it’s the support band and I’m missing them.

20 minutes later and an exasperated tour manager sorts out this debacle and I’m in to witness the act I had strained to hear leave the stage. I’m later to learn they were San Francisco’s ‘ Film School’ and now I actually own a copy of their debut album I’m even more gutted for missing them.

To say his is an amazing collection of songs of draw dropping proportions would be an understatement. Film School may well have made my year. This is mainly due to the influences that have clearly guided them. A heady concoction of early 90’s indie that has never been given the recognition it deserves. They take the fuzzy epic guitar riffs of Swervedriver and ethereal progressive melodics of ride and pepper them with emotionally breaking vocals of Robert Smith. In fact Film School play a fascinating generation game as they ply us with brief glimpses of many shades of new and old. This is a band who rejoice in the technical aspects of guitar noise. A band who enter guitar shops and snatch a fender from the resident Dire Straits geek and fill the room with a My Bloody Valentine riff, that is left ringing in the ears for days to come.

Film School’s debut is a wall of beautiful noise. They deliberately meander around with little direction hitting us with every effects peddle known to man before breaking into melodic genius. The initial opener, ‘On And On’, explodes into a chorus that wrenches your very soul, and 11:11 uses many intertwined guitars to build to a crescendo of waved feedback and thundering drums.

Film School have made the perfect indie rock album, it’s what guitars were made for. They have taken some of the most important elements of the last 15 years and produced something of outstanding originality and excitement. I don’t just recommend this album. YOU NEED IT.

9/10

James Heward