The London-based quintet formed in 2014 has released their first LP. There are highs and lows on this album, but ultimately the conclusion is positive. With unmatched lyrics, Driving Excitement and the Pleasures of Ownership is an excellent debut.
The album opens with a deep, booming rhythm on track 1(Jazz Hole I[interlude]). This short track opens up into a lighter acoustic-driven 2(Ym Mhorthcawl) which switches fairly seamlessly into 3(Spent) which keeps to this similar sound. Next comes another interlude, 4(Jazz Hole II[interlude]), and then the formula seems to repeat with 5(Dust Planet) and 6(Proletarieterette). The Album repeats this formula Twice more before it ends with a cover of David Bowie’s China Girl. Don’t confuse the redundancy/organization of the album for a mundane structure; each and every track (including the interludes) could easily stand alone. There is a fantastic amount of instrumentation on this release and each song has layers of bright bells and a solid, organized song structure. This all happens while the borderline gimmicky male/female shared vocals trudge through issues of politics, loss, and belonging. This saves the vocal dynamic at its best as the topic of love is hardly brushed.
There is a decent amount of room for growth on this record. However, it is hard to call nailing lyricism and building a warm and listenable sound anything but an achievement. Well worth the spins that it will no doubt recieve on air. This album is a decent 7/10.
Recommended If You Like: Yuck, Mitski, Elvis Depressedly
Recommended Tracks: 2(Ym Mhorthcawl), 3(Spent), 6(Proletarieterette)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Dylan Fox on 07/05/2016