It’s been a long hot day at the beach with the lads. There’s 10 of you crammed into the back seat of the minivan. You all smell burnt and sweaty, your red hot back is sensitive against the sticky hot plastic seats even with the windows open. Someone’s elbow is in your ribs but he’s a mate and you don’t mind. The cans of stella are flowing and there’s loads more. You need a wee but are waiting for someone else to break down first and demand the driver stops on the hard shoulder. And everyone is singing.

So what are we singing? Persian Rug Sale’s Before You Go from their EP Love Songs of course.

If you could can pure life and exuberance then it would exist in the form of a Rugs EP. I don’t think even Persian Rug Sale would claim to be the best musicians ever, but this new EP Love Songs contains the truth that music is more about verve, intensity and inspiration and much less about pure technical brilliance. The band themselves feel they are about the live performance (and I’ve shamefully yet to have the pleasure) but this EP is just peachy.

My personal stand out track is Reach You. There’s strains of those early 60’s balladeers (“Tell Laura I Love Her” et al) but all grunged and messed up to produce a pure burning honest intensity. Music doesn’t get barer than this. I get the intense vibes of the likes of early Nick Cave or Elias Bender Rønnenfelt in the performance (and Ice Age and in particular Marching Church are one of the best bands ever in my humble view). Add in some truly amazing lyrics and you have one hell of an amazing song.

Life’s so short, but it’s long enough.
Your loyalty is not to me but the stars above,
and the oceans so deep that I couldn’t reach you.

Look Back on Today is a sweet tale reminiscing over a sweet romantic day. The lads in the back of the mini van will be moving onto it in a bit. It might feel a bit of a misnomer but there’s a long tradition of folk punk and it feels so right.

Track Fallen feels like it’s played for laughs. It feels rather like those 1960’s up for a good time and all round cheeky chappie Small Faces. There’s that very retro 1960’s vibe in the song but its mixed together with DIY early punk folk (Television Personalites track Part Time Punks comes to mind). That blend is both pretty unique and attractive, funny and serious, and the Rugs are majorly onto something here.

The Rugs have produced one of those quiet unassuming EPs that suddenly creeps up on you and grabs your brain. A magnificent effort lads.

Chris R

* Images taken from the bands social media and contains the work amongst the Gunnera and the garden furniture from an excellent photographer Beth Chamberlain