Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Boxer Rebellion

Watermelon

Label: Poptones Release Date: 06/10/2003

4999
afuture1 by Andrew Future October 5th, 2003

The original Boxer Rebellion uprising back in turn of the 20th century China was lead by a secret society that formed in protest at foreign corruption. The sword swirling swell of their Christian slicing namesakes has obviously had a lasting effect, because The Boxer Rebellion’s long-awaited Poptones debut is a viciously rock and roll wet dream.

Led by a torpedoing bass riff that would leave Muse or BRMC for dust, the track builds amidst a conundrum of towering feedback and viciously hypnotic hooks, as beautiful as they are loud. Vocally akin to the Sigur Ros bloke singing Spiritualized, Nathan Nicholson’s voice is purity incarnate. At least until the chorus creeps up and he contorts into a snarling rock juggernaut, writhing out lines like, ‘You said you want cigarettes, well I think I want girls.’ The disorderly queues are already forming.

‘Watermelon’s’ only direction is up, and its turbulent melody is made up of a blissful array of influences which never look like overpowering the band’s own creative heart. There’s a thousand bands that would kill to have the immediacy and all out rock sensibility that this song displays. Imagine Verve giving MC5 a right kicking. They can all bring it on, but we’ve seen The Boxer Rebellion coming a mile off, and any fakers will just die trying. The revolution starts here.

  • 10
    Andrew Future's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Alfie

Stuntman

Mobback
4994

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • feature


    Nicky Wire on the press, Shirley Bassey, and th...

  • 50002

    Discography Reassessed


    Oeuvre Here: An 18 Album Voyage Through Ringo S...

  • 100438
  • Interview


    Life, Death and Broken Bells - DiS meets James ...

  • 82768

    In Depth


    Fade to black: DiS meets The Horrors

  • 48012
  • feature


    Radiohead's In Rainbows: the fans' verdict

  • 27997
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND