Fresh on the heels of Vital Idles‘ 2018 LP comes a four-track 7″ vinyl EP containing all-new material.
The resonant post punk bass intro of “Break A” puts me straight into a good mood and the clear guitar slashes strike through at just the right tempo. Jessica Higgins‘ vocals when scattered across the track are intriguing, and she really sounds as though she is enjoying enunciating them. There is a surreal stream of consciousness to the words that fits well with the louche tempo, and as the track proceeds so the guitar becomes more strident and discordant, as if trying to put off the rhythm section.
They hang on though, and eventually the guitar turns in a pretty little figure that throws us in to “Seconds”. The tempo is stranger here, with lots of rhythmic cut-backs and tempo changes. It doesn’t hang around though, and the song must be over in a couple of minutes and it is time to flip it on to side two. The second side is more clashing and up-tempo, with “Rustle Rustle” reminding me of early Siouxsie And The Banshees, but without the urban paranoia. Jessica’s energy levels are higher here and the tempo for “Careful Extracts” is even more frantic. I think the drummer’s simple playing is just to try and keep the whole thing steady before it slips out of everybody’s hands. The vocal yelps that appear here and there are great, and kind of surprising — but if you are going to intersperse them with lines like “‘Just me and my fried deride” and “Just me and my tired ire”, then really you definitely have my vote. You can almost hear her chewing with satisfaction as the words emerge.This is a 7″ packed with energetic post-punk fun, but with a poetic heart and the knowledge that you should always leave them wanting more. It was over too quickly — so let’s hope there’s further records to come soon.
-Mr Olivetti-
