Gaining a fair bit of buzz and acclaim for their self-titled debut from such "love em or hate em music bibles as Pitchfork and Mojo, this UK bands brand of indie dance (or "new rave, if you like completely inaccurate labels) seems to work, so why screw with the formula? Working from a more organic base, this EP has four new songs that are rooted in piano and acoustic guitar. As much as I hate press releases, when they mention the similarities to the Beta Band, I really have to agree, especially on "Heaven Kissing Hill, where the lackadaisical vocal harmonies, samples and looping guitar give those late, lamented Scots a big run for their money. But where they differ is in their willingness to throw the rules out the window, as seen in the noisy interlude in the aforementioned track. Not afraid to ruin the vibe and make a mess with feedback-driven guitars, its all quite thrilling. While EPs are hardly essential, for those who want a sneak preview for what might just be a genre-defining second album, this is a great recommendation.
(Melodic, www.melodic.co.uk)
(Melodic)(Melodic, www.melodic.co.uk)