The Rhubarbs ‘A Tale Of Love, Loss and Rhubarb’ | EP Review

The self-proclaimed title of ‘Sweatbox Hype’ is one that The Rhubarbs have worn proudly on their sleeves since coming up with it, soaking club walls and bludgeoning ears with raucous tomfoolery. Whether it’s the love of a nice clean shirt, or the peculiar inward knee dance a la Tom Watling, their live shows have always been imbued with an uninhibited lust for dicking about.

Now, after what seems like forever, the band are finally releasing their debut EP, a three-song collection that promises to preserve its rapscallion heart and resist the temptation to shed a guitar or two before the song’s finished.

Hearing The Rhubarbs at home is nostalgic and gratifying, their debut retaining the fervent pace set by their live shows. Each song maintains a healthy balance of solid production without ever losing the soul of the band. It’s an extremely confident release, one that is boisterous yet thought out, the initially short eight-minute runtime suddenly making perfect sense as the EP repeats for the fourth time in a row. And that’s the only issue with ‘A Tale of Love, Loss and Rhubarb’, it’s far too compelling to simply listen to once, each listen consuming more time than you realize. Who cares though? Just put it on again.

Check out an EP sampler right here: