Labels: Sanguine
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I bought this record kinda by mistake. I had a list of things I was ordering, and I decided I was spending a bit too much money. I meant to take this off the list, but it arrived in the package, so I presume I didn’t! Ooops! But not oops. Because this is really special.
5 songs on here, and I can’t wait till they put out a full length. This is full on, hoarse screamy emo. With a violin. The first track, “Even Now” is dynamite hardcore, perhaps in the vein of bands like Orchid in a way. And when that first came on I was getting set for a pretty straight forward record. Didn’t have to wait too long for any of those thoughts to be blown clean away though. Because the following track, “Quiet Company”, scatters all previously held conceptions to the wind with one of the most absolutely incredible songs I have heard in ages. It builds up with an absolutely spellbinding introduction, pure beauty. The violin that features in particular. Oh my. But grab your seat, this song is about to take off – flying into some chaotic yet tuneful hardcore with vocalists trading cries and the violin supplying an exciting contrast. The sane and the insane all at a time. Then at the end it winds down with yet more prettiness. It’s enough to bring a tear to your eye. No question, “Quiet Company” is just amazing. A rival for the almost untouchable “Pennyloafer”.
Portrait fail to rise to quite that level again on any of the remaining 3 songs, but that’s not a worry. “Missing The Shore” is layered with more violin, as the song builds from humble beginnings a long the lines of an Engine Down track. Two more songs on the b-side, following on the style. Notable about “Constellations of a Star Blazing Iris” is the part where it gets super mournful, the violin is the only instrument playing, and in they’ve faded the multiple vocals into the background, so it sounds like a whole group of people crying out in pain in the distance. Distressing. Then there is the final track, “North Ebony”, opening up with super warm acoustic style twinkles and more violin. Invokes the Blacktop Cadence vibe, and gets a bit Irishy! Hey, it’s the Corrs! If only the Corrs featured tortured screaming and the pummelling bass drum beat that this song does.
One of the best and most original emo bands I have yet to hear, they’ll rule the world of anyone with a desire for bands like, oh, 12 Hour Turn, Yaphet Kotto, Saetia, and all the rest. Extra point: I think the singer is an ex-member of Cap’n Jazz-alikes, the Kossabone Red. And you know how much they ruled.