Cowbell

Never Satisfied

Too Pure

Released: Monday 15 November 2010

There is not a cowbell in earshot here, let's get that straight from the start. So all you cowbell enthusiasts (yes, myself included) can forget it. Instead Cowbell are a very English blues garage outfit consisting of a drummer and a guitarist.

With that small nugget of information, you're already thinking "White Stripes" or "Black Keys" but this is a comparison Cowbell apparently want to avoid. Life's just not fair sometimes is it? 'Never Satisfied' is a catchy rolling piece of rock where the melody does all the work; the verse is just as hooky as the chorus. Despite borrowing from an American way of thinking the delivery is refreshingly English: "What is it you want that I ain't got/ What is it you need that I am not," being one such line. The b-side to this single, 'Ain't Pretending', follows a similar route but doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely as the lead. Neither song over-eggs or out-shouts the other; they are well crafted and level headed songs.

It's hard to judge from two songs how far Cowbell will go, because there isn't enough evidence of diversity in their song-writing, and while they are very infectious - adding maybe slightly more boogie than the bands mentioned earlier in this article - they will need more range to avoid the 'one trick pony' label.