CONTENDING WITH EASTERHOUSE

Andy and Ivor Perry, the politically-precocious Mancunian brothers who lead Easterhouse, relish a good argument. I know this because, A) Andy likens the band�s appeal to that of a heated adversarial exchange, and B) Andy and Ivor spend much of our allotted interview time (and then some) squabbling over philosophical technicalities, with the sort of unrestrained, superficially-venomous fervor that only siblings seem capable of.

The words and music on Easterhouse�s Contenders—their first full-length LP as well as their domestic debut—are every bit as compelling as the Perry�s verbal lashings. Andy�s lyrics are both emotive and historically specific, dealing with complex issues (political betrayal, societal inequity, the need for a revolutionary communist government, that sort of thing) without resorting to kneejerk sloganeering.