Gleefully naturalistic in their approach, Men Oh Pause – inevitably an all female trio from the cataclysm that is Brighton – snarl, stumble and laconically stagger through their EP “Pulse Check”. Whilst undeniably a product of the alternative DIY universe they overcome their technical and logistical limitations to produce something musical that would bear, in metaphorical terms at least, comparison with what the Slits would have come up with if they had been asked to do a soundtrack to a some straight to VHS science fiction movie back in days before there was such a thing as post punk.
It would be fair to describe the band’s approach as angular and, without needing both hands to count the chords, Men Oh Pause gamely invite us into a world seemingly inhabited by the twin demons of alienation and discontent. “Scarf Lady” easily qualifies as the best song on the EP and pretty much encompasses all the misfortunes of the misfit in under four psychotic minutes while “Sapphire and Steel”, for all the awkwardness in its execution, ends up being something of a charmer.
Men Oh Pause have made the most of a budget roughly equivalent to what to a taxi driver spends on coffee in the week and, while the mainstream will dutifully ignore them, those of you with more eclectic tastes may well find themselves compelled to investigate further. The EP is a limited vinyl release of 250 copies.