Search - Fire Engines :: Codex Teenage Premonition

Frenetic Fire Drills

Thomas Horan | Chapel Hill, NC | 02/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The ebullient Fire Engines were cult heroes of the "Young Scotland" scene; their modus operandi was NO BAR CHORDS, an approach that gave their kinetic dance-punk a wire-thin guitar sound perfectly complimented by cowbell percussion and funky, clunky drumbeats. This mostly live compilation, partially named after the band's short-lived Codex label, is largely comprised of bootlegged material from 1980, which means the sound quality is a tad uneven and a few songs appear more than once. But their Peel sessions will be revelatory for fans of Franz Ferdinand, and this hip disc may be the harbinger of a badly needed reissue of their scant studio recordings."