Loredo
Trawl EP Review
Released March 10, 2014
Genre: Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Alternative Rock
Debut EPs should accomplish three things: 1) They should showcase artistic strengths, 2) they should be a preview of what to expect from your band, and 3) they should leave listeners wanting more. It’s an effective marketing strategy, make three to five songs, release it, and then continue on with your debut LP. All this considered, this is what makes EPs a tricky risk in the music business, listeners will either hate it or love it.
Now, Loredo is an English band who self-described themselves as “a five-piece rock band from North London with a charming mix of slow grunge guitars, splashy drums and brooding vocals,” and a lot can be said about this band from this inaugural release.
The opening track, “Habit,” features some great riffs that venture into some grunge territory. Lead vocalist Stuart Bennett’s brooding voice pays homage to the post-punk genre, with startling similarities to Robert Smith (of The Cure). This remains true in their lyrical content: “convinced this is the last time,” he sings, and you can’t help but feel an alarming sense of conviction with it. The female and male dual vocals during the chorus add an interesting dynamic as they push the emotion of the song to a reasonable and evident level. The only downside, in my opinion, comes with the ending riff, where the tone of the guitar stays clean and bland. With the adequate back up vocals, it almost becomes saccharine, near close to jangle pop territory.
“Trawl” keeps the breezy, relaxed attitude that the album attempts to maintain; as it follows a practical song structure, yet it struggles to stay as hard hitting as it appears to be, the overall result leaves much to be desired. But the switch-ups in this song are very nice, and Bennett’s vocals still come off as hauntingly beautiful, a reincarnation of post-punk greats. The next track “Zany” adds some distortion into the mix with a chorus that you’ll hear teens chanting in the clubs. But it failed to grab my attention; may it be how the song isn’t exactly “zany” or as exciting as most rock acts out there, but everything goes downhill from here.
The next track “Walked Out On A Wire” echoes the imperative problem that the new Young The Giant album had, it fails to reach into ambitious and adventurous territory. What made indie rock/post-punk bands like The Cure and Interpol so appealing was their grandiose yet fun compositions that graced the culture of society with a breath of familiar yet fresh air. This track doesn’t tug any strings for me and it was incredibly generic and rehashed.
While this was an alright EP, I still think that their sounds needs more work, for what they have previewed has come off as a hint of something great. With their strong energy, ambition, and overall confidence, the band shows a strong sense of unity and musicianship, as well as an impressive array of influences, and with just that, I have hope in their future projects. With this EP, Loredo showcase an unwavering and confident debut that should keep fans waiting for what comes next.
FAV TRACKS: Habit, Trawl
LEAST FAV TRACK: Walked Out On A Wire
