Well, the press blurb starts off promisingly enough, telling of how SIC's latest signings are seven-piece chamber-pop merchants The Rest, who hail from Ontario, Canada, and that 'they walk an Bunnymen / Arcadefire sort of line and are aiming very much for the Big Music.'
But here's where it gets interesting to me: apparently they finance the band 'through the noble art of making and selling BEER at their own self promoted shows at home.' Brilliant! I'm a fan of beer (ok, that's an understatement) and also a keen homebrewer myself, and these guys have clearly taken it to the next level. Innovative and cool. They've won me over already. Oh yes, but what about the music?
'Walk on Water' is grand in its scope, and slowly builds from gentle strings to a frenzy of sound, fuzzed out guitars augmented with huge sweeping orchestration. By the end of the track, you're left wondering how you got from A to B, after taking ride by a most unexpected route.
'Drinking Again' is a quiet acoustic track, the self-reflective lyrics delivered in a range that shifts from a whisper to a falsetto that's both touching and haunting.
|
The cover of Robyn's dance smash 'With Every Heartbeat' is a definite improvement on the original, being paired back and subtle yet also richly textured.
The last track, 'The Close Western Way' is perhaps the most 'obvious' track, and certainly the most commercial, while also making the most overt nods to the touchstones mentioned in the press release. It's no bad thing, with loping rhythms and guitars that build and blur to form a rich sonic haze that's also not a million miles from the Black Angels.
Together, these songs certainly augur well for their forthcoming self-financed album, 'Everyone All At Once,' out in October. WOW indeed.
|
