Cool name for a track. Great name for a band. Fantastic sounding music. To be honest, I could just leave things at that, but I’m betting that you, dear reader, will be looking for something more in-depth before you part with your hard-won cash.
So, the EP in question is actually what, back in the day, would have been an extended player: 12 inches of fab and groovy vinyl waxing, an A-side, a B-side, and two remixes of the main track. This is in keeping with what’s going on here because J Clark, the man behind the music (aided and abetted by James Winans) creates a beautiful post-punk sound, the scene in which 12-inch singles were perhaps most prevalent.
“Sunkissed Shadows” runs on crunching bass lines and ominous, ornate, and otherworldly guitar riffs. It sits comfortably between the dark designs of the gothic realm and that place where the non-commercial side of the burgeoning New Romantic scene morphed into a slow dance, darkwave vibe back in the day. It is of the now, but it tips its hat to the way-back-when in a sort of forward-thinking nostalgia sort of way…if there is such a thing.
“Heartbeats” wanders the same musical landscape, though it plays a more avant-garde dance card. Then there are two versions of “Sunkissed Shadows” that incrementally push the track into a more industrial sound, yet never losing sight of the grinding groove at its heart.
Yes, nostalgia plays a part here, but only if you are old enough to remember those post-punk days, as I am. To anyone younger, this is merely cool, original music that is part and parcel of today’s modern, post-genre landscape. The oldies will be getting teary eyed whilst the youngsters will be getting their alt-rock nightclub dancing trousers on.
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