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.