Press Archive

The Contact EP contains six variations on a pastoral, very British kind of song writing. The gently strummed guitars and vocal harmonies call to mind a punting trip with Turin Brakes scoffing food from the hamper while Steven Duffy and Nick Drake squabble over the quant.

The lead track, Summit Of The Big Low, is the most conventional pop moment on the EP. A stuttering echoing snare drum and twisted interlocked guitars weave a delicate sugar spun web for the blissful vocals. A huge reverb drenched riff leaps out of the chorus before the song swerves back into its mournful chord progression.

Invisible is strange hybrid of Echo And The Bunnymen styled guitars, all shards of glacial melody and restrained pomp that is anchored by a lackadaisical baggy beat. Ambient sound and vocal snippets float through the mix creating a dreamy heady flow. Imagine Brian Eno producing The Everly Brothers in an overgrown suburban greenhouse.

The wistful fractured nature of the production continues throughout the remaining tracks Tu De Che, Akin To Chaos, Why and Fades Away. Acoustic guitar figures, sampled voices, sound effects, multi tracked vocals and the odd rattle of percussion. It's like waking after a lunchtime drink, blinking into the hot summer sun. Half awake, half cut and surprised by the bright light.

There is a sly imagination at work here and a gift for melody. These are beautiful watercolour miniatures. Not groundbreaking but pleasant and intriguing. Tune in and float down stream.