CHINESE FOOTBALL – “Here Comes A New Challenger” LP

Released in 2017 on Wild Records, which, like the band, is based in Wuhan, China. Beautifully, sung, played and recorded… can’t say I’m a fan of the Manga style comic art on the sleeve… but damn, Chinese Football have such a lovely bright, fresh quality to their indie pop, I could forgive a lot worse when it comes to sleeve art crimes (hello most raw/noise-punk bands). Chinese Football use plenty of those twiddly guitar picks that weave all over the place – the type that has come to re-define the term ‘math-rock’ in recent decades. Over which they sing their hearts out. Pure pop pleasure, with an undercurrent of post-hardcore off-kilter awkwardness – for which you could cite their appreciation of American Football (Owls, too, I expect).