SPQR - No Brain, No Pain EP — AliveandGigging

Liverpool art-rock band SPQR released their much-anticipated third EP No Brain, No Pain on 30 April 2020 on Nuthin Gud Records.

With the band having released EP openers Nuthin Gud and Just Sumfin earlier this year, Peter Harrison when speaking to Gigwise said of the remaining two previously unreleased tracks:

These last two songs were done start to finish in the space of a week. It was nuts. And stressful. But fun. Then COVID-19 happened and rendered the rush pointless! But I’m glad we did it.
No Brain, No Pain is my favourite. It’s bouncy and it's really layered. I love the bassline. I love the djembe and all the percussion. I feel like it's texturally interesting, but as always it carries a very sombre message, it's a de-realisation. A lot of my songs are about this topic. I don’t really exist. I have no connection to anything around me and I float around, No Brain, No Pain. Recording was fun, Con (Dickson, guitar & synth) had a big part in the production of this one. I loved working on it with him.

The new EP marks a career high for the band, netting them support from BBC introducing’s Hot List, Spotify’s Hot New Bands, Apple Music’s The New Rock, Amazon’s Best New Bands, Deezer’s Freshest Bands Around, and VEVO’s All New Indie channel.

Hallmarked by simplistic, clean visuals with sharp aesthetics that mirror their increasingly refined songwriting, No Brain, No Pain has helped win over key supporters at BBC 6music, BBC Radio One, Radio X and saw the band playlisted by Amazing Radio, who included Just Sumfin in their Tunes of The Week recently.

On top of that, Guitar World, CLASH, Gigwise, DORK Magazine and Vulture Hound have all jumped on board with the record, broadening their already-impressive success at music press to date.

So No Brain, No Pain kicks off with the opening word “nuthin gud lives here” so is the perfect intro for opening track Nuthin Gud, the song itself is a mix of catchy indie pop guitar hooks with something more experimental overlayed giving it a more psychedelic feel as the track progresses. Lyrically it’s not upbeat as one of the best lines gives us “I’ll pick the scab and it makes it worse. I don’t pick the scab and it makes it worse”.

Just Sumfin is the next track it opens with a lovely piano melody, before we get the rest of the rhythm kicking in, it’s got one of the catchiest grooves I have heard, definitely one to get you dancin’. Lyrically it’s another acerbic view on life my favourite line being “fuck the world from my bedroom“.

We then have the title track No Brain, No Pain, with its heavy bass intro and the repeated “no brain, no pain” before we get some precise drums and the vocal coming in, it’s another song with some catchy guitar riffs and singalong lyrics “my promise, to fall in love again, my promise how come you are never here”.

The final track Loves Summer, is a slowed down song, it’s got a nice bass rhythm to it and is less poppy than the preceding tracks, there is no let up in the gloomy lyrics when Peter sings “you love summer but all the seasons are the same. Here it only rains’ perhaps suggesting that there is no perfect ending to be attained !!!

Now I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with SPQR, but I loved this EP, there is an eclectic mix of indie pop, experimental sounds, vocals pinched and harmonised it makes you long for more. I definitely found some real Talking Heads inspired experimental vibes coming through. It’s a good sign that when I was finished writing the review I just wanted to listen again and enjoy the talents of this band.

SPQR have grabbed my attention and having started listening to their back collection they are one of the most unique and independent bands that I have heard, big things await if they continue on this path.

Tracklist