Labels: Indoor Children
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Arrows are an incredible band, I would have to say they are the best new band I have heard in quite some time. They are from Australia and this split 12″ sees them contribute three songs of absolutely prime, late 90s emo. The opening song is a meandering masterpiece, with gently wandering guitars, gorgeous twinkles and desperate vocals. The music is perfectly pitched between Mineral and Blacktop Cadence, with a slightly darker element that brings to mind Three Mile Pilot, especially when they get the piano going. Two of the songs push 7 minutes, the other is over 4, so you know you are in for some deliberate, slow burning music – building up almost imperceptibly to the climax. The second song brings in the piano from the start, with no guitar. A very sombre tune, with distant samples in the background, dogs barking and people talking or washing up, it’s a bit unclear. Around the two and a half minute mark it collapses straight into Mineral territory with drawn out vocals and other instrumentation joining the mix for a moment, it drops out again. We finish up with another song made for long walks and long drives in the middle of nowhere. A soft, drifting number that winds on it’s way before ratcheting up the guitars for a traditional emo end of the world special with everyone dying. I could easily listen to these 3 songs over and over for quite some time, which hasn’t happened to me in a very long while. Arrows are as good as you have heard from this genre in a thousand jahre. Do not miss them.
These Hands Could Separate the Sky were always going to play second fiddle for me on this split. And they are pretty solid, just not my general cup of tea. Epic post rock with guitar effects and 10 minute long songs. It’s all build ups and crescendos and no vocals. They have nice sounds and ideas, but this kind of thing is wasted on a wretch like me.