Various Cruelties, a four-piece from west London, describe what they do as “shabby Motown pop”.
They might be named after a painting by US pop artist Edward Ruscha, but there isn’t much that’s particularly leftfield about
their faithful take on 60s R&B and northern soul. It’s deeply old-fashioned and trad. And when they do make concessions
towards the relatively modern, when they’re not coming on like a latter-day Commitments, all they manage is jangling, anthemic
indie/rock with elements of both Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay.
