The Bloodstream EP is out there at the intelligent end of pop. It’s lush and dreamy electronica coupled with edgily erotic songs. It's a sweetly acidic sunmmerfruit smoothie with guitar band, sampled and synthesised ingredients - blended not pulped.
STATELESS are yet another aspect of the astonishingly broad Leeds music scene. Along with fellow Timelords PARISMAN they hold aloft the rippling banners of science in the service of intense emotional charge.
There's a bit of PORTISHEAD, a bit of COLDPLAY, a bit of MASSIVE ATTACK and a very big lot of their own devising.
Chris James has a versatile and soulful voice. My guess is that a lot of people will simply fall for his yearning burr and not even notice the bugs and scary monsters hiding in the mix. "Bloodstream" has that distinct PORTISHEAD sound for a few bars, and then it shifts. It’s the voice that does it "Wake up. Look me in the eyes again. I need to feel your hand upon my face" keeps it natural , keeps it ambiguous, keeps the thousand stories of a million listeners all in mind. The hospital visit? The morning pillow? The tragedy of bereavement or loss? All covered. Blood, smoke, the knife, the needle. Damn, this is a good song. And those fantastic piano chords at three minutes 40. Three simple chords, beautifully timed and teasingly strange.
Until I really started listening I was starting to think this was a bit bland. The Chris Martin connection came early on. But no. That's just wrong. Lazy listening. As the rest of the band carefully place their contributions around the quality raw material of the song it all becomes something a lot bigger. I mean a lot bigger.
The other three tracks are equally profligate with the quality. There's absolutely no question of spinning stuff out until the album's ready. At nineteen minutes 47 this a substantial four track work. Each song is a labour of love, shimmering with new textures and flowing with mysterious layers that come and go. As soon as you notice a bit Reichiana, it slips away and some FOUR TET or SQUAREPUSHER seems to be plundered. But these desperate reviewer attempts to nail the reference points just cave in to the effortless flow of the whole. It's pop music, don’t forget, and no one really cares where it comes from. The other songs are "Exit", "Inscape" and "Bluetrace". All mighty fine. To be honest I don’t think you'll get a more accomplished debut this year.
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STATELESS are not above the odd cheap trick neither. About two minutes into "Inscape" there are eight quick chimes on the electric guitar that we had completely forgotten the existence of. Then they're gone, leaving the heartbeat quickened and the goosebumps raised. "Bluetrace" has a mighty crescendo of crazed bebop trumpet and clattering percussion just when you thought it was cocoa time.
Kidkanevil does turntables, sampling and programming. Jon Taylor is bass, keyboards and guitars. Jimmy Sturdy works drums, piano and string arrangements and Rod Buchanan-Dunlop does FX programming and keyboards. Best learn the names now, eh? I think they might be back.
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