AllMusic Streams It All: Various Cruelties - Various Cruelties

Did our exclusive stream of Red Jacket Mine's upcoming Someone Else's Cake whet your appetite for more fresh sounds? Well, you're in luck, 'cause we're back with another exclusive treat: the US release of Various Cruelties' self-titled debut!

This London-based band mixes British guitar pop with classic soul grooves and just a pinch of gothy anxiety, making for a stylish, anthemic sound that has landed them on the small screen for Later... with Jools Holland and in opening slots for Mumford & Sons, Kasabian, and the Vaccines. Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, Goldfrapp), Various Cruelties features "If It Wasn't For You", which you may recognize from a recent ad campaign for a jewelry retailer. Beyond the album, Various Cruelties' cover of the Ian Brown tune "F.E.A.R." has been spinning on the HBO series Banshee.

RIYL: the swagger of Arctic Monkeys; the polished nostalgia of Fitz and the Tantrums; the bubbly eclecticism of Dexy's Midnight Runners.

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Purchase Various Cruelties via iTunes. Various Cruelties is out in the U.S. February 26 on Almanac Recordings.

Want more? Watch the video for "Chemicals":