Labels: Sea Owl
Review by: Oli Saunders
Ox Scapula hail from Stoke and this is their third release after a 7” that came out last year and a 7” split with Wooderson released quite recently. This latest record is an EP and is the first release for the new tape label Sea Owl. It comes in a really nice handmade paper box which slides out. The insert says these songs were the band’s first recordings (recorded October 2007) so this is essentially their demo. I’ve not actually heard their more recent recordings so I can’t compare how their sound has changed over time.
What we have here is Dischord style post punk but given a modern day makeover. My initial thoughts when I listened to it is that it sounds a bit like the more recent My Disco records. The guitar sound is similar to this, the bass is a key feature, grooving along in the background and holding the tempo along with the drums. The guitars are then free to wander about, sometimes playing repetitive riffs whilst at others flailing about and then occasionally losing the distortion and becoming quite melodic. There are occasional bits of feedback too which I am a fan of, such as in the intro to the first song and the outro of the last, there are bits elsewhere too. Over the top of it all there are vocals which are mostly shouted and sound really good and urgent. Overall it all works really well together.
Six songs in total here, all really solid. I am definitely interested in hearing the newer songs now that I’ve heard this EP. If you like noisy math punk with elements of Shellac, Hoover, My Disco and the like then check this out.
2nd July 2009