Olympians - Book Club 1 // The Great Gatsby (Review)

At the moment Olympians are probably one of Norwich's top exports, and so their new single was greatly anticipated. This new single is the first in a series which Olympians are calling the Book Club; seemingly because the packaging for them will be books, and also perhaps (if the title of the first single is anything to go by) that they will be named after or inspired by books. (Who says people aren't reading anymore!)
Putting the unique packaging aside - mainly because I haven't got it yet - I endeavour to briefly discuss the music.

The title track, The Great Gatsby, is a less upbeat offering than some of their previous (except perhaps Wake Up Old) but has some Olympians hallmarks; some drone and mathy guitars (which at one point sound surprisingly like part of the vocal line from Wake Up Old).

The b-side to the single, Tidy House, Tiny Mind, showcases Olympians seeming desire to reinvent the barbershop quartet, much like the b-side to Wake Up Old did. The soft but anthemic vocals are cushioned over some lovely drone, synths, and drums. It all comes together and works really well. I'm going to put it out there right now - I think I prefer the b-side.

The single ends with a remix - a pretty good remix - of one of the tracks off their previous EP.

After the 10 minutes of the single (all 3 tracks) I am left thinking that this probably isn't as good as some of their previous singles, but Olympians' music has an undeniable charm to it that still shines through; particularly in the b-side Tidy House, Tiny Mind.

Perhaps most importantly, this first entry into the Book Club leaves me excited about what the next will be.

I'd definitely recommend having a listen (which is why I have embedded it below for you, like the nice guy I am).
Also, the video is pretty cool.

James

Flicker State - Alma Sessions EP (Review)

I first heard of Flicker State when they followed me on twitter, and because of this I decided to give their EP a listen. It really is pretty good.

The EP opens with the combination of electronica beats and post-rock string swells that feel so at home together. When the vocals came in I was slightly apprehensive, but they really do work in this context. All this together with strange guitar noises over the top is a winning combination in my book. Despite all of this post-rock posturing they manage to make it all sound quite pop-y (in a good way). The other songs follow suit, but much of the EP is instrumental.

The middle song, Clarity, is what I imagine Explosions in the Sky would come up with if they were asked to perform at a disco.

After this 25-minute, 5-track EP is over I feel some of the tracks were a bit too similar, but the band definitely has their sound, and I can't fault their originality.

Post-electro-rock?

Well worth a listen.





James

The Fierce And The Dead - On VHS (Review)

Despite them having released their debut album last year, this On VHS EP is actually my first contact with The Fierce And The Dead. Despite not knowing much about the band, our thoughts on their guitarist Matt Stevens are clear - we're putting him on for a show in March - 'nuff said.

When starting this review I made the conscious decision not to go back and listen to their previous work; I'd either like it a lot and then tear this EP apart, or completely hate it and tear the EP apart anyway.

So going in with clean ears, I begin.

The first half of the EP, 6666 and Hawaii follow similar patterns. 6666 opens up quietly in an almost drone pattern, but quickly drops into a math guitar reveal. For the majority of both songs the structure seemed strange to me in the sense that (paradoxically) it isn't that strange; it seemed almost like a verse-chorus structure. Satisfyingly, neither song remains that way, with 6666 having a drone/ethereal interlude and the second track Hawaii having a sparse and almost (appropriately) hawaiian guitar outro.

The third, eponymous track of the EP is On VHS. It starts with one mathy guitar, and then adds a second on top of it, before throwing a bassline in which makes me think of Talking Heads. Another thing the guitars in this track remind me of (but which I have no real backing for) is Pink Floyd prog (a la Echoes). Anyway, this track was pre-released, so take a listen.

The fourth and final track on the EP is (perhaps ironically) entitled Part 3, and is one of the stronger tracks. The beginning sounds almost Joy Division-esque to me, and as the song evolves it begins to sound like the love child of Explosions in the Sky and Talking Heads (with a bit of Mogwai thrown in). A good combination in my book!

I must admit, I am slightly disappointed. Not because the EP is bad - it certainly isn't bad - but because of the fact that out of the two tracks I think shine on the EP (On VHS and Part 3) one has already been pre-released. But it's definitely a solid EP. The second half is a fair bit stronger than the first, so anyone who don't like the first two tracks don't be put off listening to the rest, which I must say are really good.

All in all, this EP is definitely worth owning for the second half alone. I'd recommend a buy.

James