Based in East London, yet not restricted by the fashion-led regiment of any Shoreditch scene, Black Poets were formed during the spring of 2008 by Gerard LeCain (guitar/vocals) and Billy Randall (bass), and were joined by Stephen J Good (lead guitar) and Nenad Kostadinovski (drums).

By avoiding the Joy Division influence so common for leather jacket-clad post-punk bands and instead having more in common with acts such as the Chameleons, Echo and the Bunnymen and the Psychedelic Furs, Black Poets have shown that there are still veins of gold to be found in this melancholic mine. In part this is down to breadth of their inspiration, taking in not only the monotone mood of early eighties Manchester and New York but also the soaring and expansive soundscapes of Kansas post-rockers the Appleseed Cast and the emotive melodrama and intricately interwoven melodies of slowcore Swedish band, Logh.

The last year has seen Black Poets play dates with the likes of Babyshambles, tapetheradio, Jersey Budd and Pulled Apart by Horses and also head out on a three week national UK tour. Black Poets has received positive reviews, prompting respected Scottish music magazine the Skinny to describe the band as sounding both beguiling and prophetic.

Black Poets have proven both fashionable enough to be playlisted by Top Shop and All Saints but to also hold the international appeal needed to win fans not only across the UK but in Europe, with recent regular radio in Europe.

**** THE SKINNY: "To all the bands out there who currently sound like Pavement: you could be in trouble. Suddenly the angular guitar, slightly gothic atmosphere, and doom and gloom seem prophetic, not retro".

[Sic]MAGAZINE: "‘Naivety’ is elevated by a cracking riff and a surging instrumental coda and ‘Paris 1932′ coaxes a decent falsetto from LeCain. The title track is also rather fine; once again the song is encircled in an escalating melody and the sense of urgency about it is nailed to perfection. Kudos too for the final song ‘Irene’, where Black Poets manage to convey yearning and longing within a relatively intricate framework."

ROCK LINKS: "The album is full of music - not just sounds with words over them; and they have a refreshing approach to the layout of some of their songs."

POP JUNKIE: "Black Poets really have hit the nail on the head with their haunting angered stage performance."

TOURDATES: "Black Poets adorn their sound with an authentic, well made sheen that belies the mp3 generation they find themselves in."




© Adrian Cooper (2009)
Reproduced with authors permission