Spider Noises Album Review: Deconstructed House Cat and Fuckin’ Tune This, Like: An Introduction to Spider Noises, 2016-19

By Jon Milton

‘I only like you when I’m stoned. It’s the only time I laugh at your jokes. We only get by when we’re really fucking high, I only like you when I’m stoned’

I have a friend whose nickname is Reefer, who originally comes from Newcastle, and if he had any musical talent (he hasn’t) or obvious musical inclination (he hasn’t) I think he would sound like Spider Noises, the Newcastle based solo project of Jack Calvesbert whose words appear above.  

Reefer’s the sort of person whose mind works in very interesting ways, with his extensive knowledge of literature and current affairs suitably filtered by his enduring passion for herb. From the evidence of the two albums out today on Kitchen Practice Records, Jack seems like the musical equivalent, with his many ideas percolated though days and nights of appreciating one of natures more interesting gifts.    

Spider Noises first came to our attention last month with their contribution to the debut compilation EP on Lloyd Bolton’s fledgling Kitchen Practice records, with their version of the Stones’ Let it Bleed. Just over a month later and we now have not one but two albums from them, Deconstructed House Cat their full debut, and Fuckin’ Tune This, Like, a collection of releases made between 2016 and 2019.

Deconstructed House Cat was all recorded in lockdown in Jacks bedroom, the usual location for his recording exploits. There are glimpses of Beta Band, The Beatles, Can, Devendra Banhart, Bob Dylan, and even John Barry across the albums’ nine songs; Warm Moon Residue, the albums opener evokes Banhart with a glitter band beat; Bucket of Sick, the Beta Band; Dust Mask a kind of Don’t Think Twice, Its Alright mixed with Midnight Cowboy; the playful elements of the White Album sneak in throughout and so on. Lo fi throughout, Jack manages to cleverly combine his influences into this material and then add in some wonderfully deranged experimental touches, as if he’s listened back to his own demo’s stoned and identified new and very interested elements as his mind has wandered in the fug.

At times the limitations of recording in a bedroom come across, and your left wondering what the album could sound like with some proper studio time and perhaps with some collaboration, but no doubt that will happen in the future. To have achieved an album of this quality at 21 all by yourself is an impressive feat after all, and from a quick look at the Spider Noises back catalogue, he’s not exactly short of inspiration. 

Which brings me on to Fuckin’ Tune This, Like: An Introduction to Spider Noises, 2016-19, which is a compilation of early material, featuring tracks previously available on Bandcamp. It’s a curious mix, with tracks like Equipment Smith sounding full formed (and a vocal line that sounds a bit ‘Sounds of the Underground…!) and others like Since We Died, Weird Sky and She’s Not a Star like demo’s. Reassuringly of course there are more experimental, slightly deranged moments, like Stitched by Bastard, The Lifebox 3, Save Our Skin and Dry Slug, Dry Slug to keep things interesting.

Overall, both albums show immense promise, and are invariably a smoker’s delight. You can listen to Deconstructed House Cat here and Fuckin’ Tune This, Like: An Introduction to Spider Noises, 2016-19 here.