Vocalist Andrea Kenny boasts a strong set of vocal chords,
dueting with guitarist Neil Murray, leaving an end result to cure anyone's
boredom. 'Johnny and Loretta' sounds like TDR are jamming with Reel Big Fish at
the Great Country Music Show, which anyone would think was a bad thing,
but believe it or not, it works. Get it, try it, you might just like it.
Emily Kearns, Rock Sound 4/5, March 2002
Two Day Rule
When You're Ready
Musically, Bristol has a reputation for producing soft, chilled-out
music such as the likes of Tricky and Portishead. This doesn't seem to
bother the city's latest export, Two Day Rule, who attack the listener with an
exuberant mix of pop, punk, ska and what ever else is handy at the
time. 'No Doubt' emerges as an early favourite, sounding not unlike the band
of the same name, but with added harmonies and churning guitars. It's a
template from which the band rarely deviate, but they've got the
songwriting nous to pull it off effectively.
Two Day Rule's biggest strength is the dual vocal attack of
singer/guitarists Neil and Andrea, who frequently lend themselves to
some amusing lyrical banter, most notably on the previous single 'Had A
Good Thing' - a tale of a guy trying (and failing) to win over a cynical
girl with every chat-up line in the book. As entertaining as it is, this
kind of song can get quite annoying if stretched over a whole album.
Thankfully, TDR throw a few curveballs here and there, such as the jazz-tinged
'Johnny & Loretta' and the slower, reflective 'Don't Believe In Fighting'.
There's a few duff songs towards the end of the album, but overall
this is a pretty promising effort. Two Day Rule sound like they've had a lot
of fun recording 'When You're Ready' and I imagine they'd be a riot live too.
Alex Gossman, Spark 3/5, 11/02/02
TWO DAY RULE
When You're Ready
(Sugarshack)
Fucking hell, have this lot been injecting E numbers or something?
This cheeky young scamp of a quartet don't so much sprint through this
début album, but saddle up a rocket and scorch their way through it,
frantically snatching at anything resembling a hook and cobbling together an LP
which
is nothing if not fun. If angst is your thang, be warned that TDR make
Terrorvision sound like Staind on a wet Wednesday in Rhyl when all the
donut shops are shut. As such, 'When Your Ready' is fully-laden with pogotastic
should-be-singles, including album opener 'Odds & Ends', 'Are We
Having Fun Yet?', and the blindingly urgent 'Space' (itself a former b-side).
Tricks take a turn for the worse with the saggy mid-section of the CD, but 3
or 4 easily skippable duffers a crap album doesn't make, especially when
the majority will have you grinning like a fat-bastard cat in dairy.
Ian Distort (8) march 2002
Two Day Rule
'When You're Ready'
How many times has the term 'the next big thing' been whacked on an
aspiring British band and in the cold light of day they have proved to
be anything but? Hundred Reasons anyone? Well I'm not going to slap that
kind of tag on Bristol-based quartet Two Day Rule, but their debut album,
'When You're Ready', is most certainly the most inspiring thing to have
emerged from this septic isle in the last twelve months. Sure their ramshackle
brand of pop punk isn't quite the finished article, but what TDR lack
in musical expertise they more than make up for in enthusiasm. Whether
it's the duelling male/female vocals of twin frontpersons Neil Murray and
Andrea enny, or their witty tales of boy-meets-girl girl-kills-boy that adds
to their charm I don't know. But one thing is for sure, if you're of the
punk rock persuasion, you need to check this band out!
[7/10] Daniel Lane
Metal Hammer
Two Day Rule
When You're Ready
No wonder Bristol has spawned so much smoked-out-music - it looks like
Two Day Rule bought up all its distortion pedals and cornered their home
city's market in speed some time ago. Then took it all - or stomped on it -
simultaneously. So fast does When You're Ready happily zip by its all done and over
faster than you can drink a pint of cider and smoke a roll-up. This makes
catching what's actually being heroically shouted over spunky blasts of punk
between front paring Andrea Kenny and Neil Murray an impossible task. Not that
you get anymore out of When You're Ready reading through the thoughtfully
included lyrics on the inlay - random quote: 'It was only a matter of
time before I fucked things up/And when I fuck things up I do it right.'
Which is what they've done here in a good way, come to think of it.
And they get an extra mark for keeping that healthy dollop of humour.
Ataris,
take note.
CODC, March 2002
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