Debut recording from Barcelona’s E.V.A., offering up four tracks of dreamy post-punk on their aptly-named EP, the title of which translates to “A Cheap Place to Dream.” These songs are bass-forward, with simple, steady drums, clean, beautiful guitar riffs, and femme-led vocals, the sum of which reminds me of the post-punk coming from neighbors in France and Germany, like on the Symphony of Destruction label. And for a €1 digital copy, this shit is cheap!
As soon as I looked at the album cover, I was hooked: badass gothic imagery. Their music built off the artwork to create a new universe where you’re utterly immersed in their post-punk/gothic music. The long melodic vocals at the start of “El Fuego” made me feel like I was wandering around an abandoned church or graveyard, in addition to the darker and more ominous feelings in “La Muerte” (a fitting title). Similarly, I enjoyed the simplicity of the titles, being only one word, as it didn’t take away from the complexity and layers of the music. At times, the vocals had a droning quality reminiscent of Siouxsie Sioux, which is an immediate thumbs up from me. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this.
The fourth release for Manchester, UK’s GOLD CUP in just over a year. Five songs of driving, mid-tempo rock’n’roll-infused punk. GOLD CUP does a really interesting job of peppering in a number of different sub-genres, keeping your attention without ever really leaving the mid-tempo range. There’s elements of post-punk, artsy punk, a dash of egg-punk, a snifter of garage punk for good measure. It’s a veritable potpourri is what it is. They even culminate with an absolute strutter of a song, with sleazy guitar riffs that could rival the catchiness of JUDAS PRIEST. Here’s hoping GOLD CUP keeps up the productivity and keeps the releases cranking out.
Angry raw punk from Brittany, France but sung in Spanish. God, I love bands that sing in Spanish! This EP has six disgusting tracks about social unrest the way it’s meant to be. You can feel it in your bones. Members of BAKOUNINE and USA LA TUA RABBIA.
MÖNEY is a band from Bristol who play a gentle form of post-punk. Softly strummed and picked guitars merge with atmospheric synth work and chunky bass lines to create music that is palatable enough to play for nearly anyone. The fourth song on the cassette, “Happiness,” has a couple moments that almost sound like surf rock, but then quickly dissipate into more standard post-punk tones. The final song “Wrong Way Home” opens with a more aggressive guitar sound, but then turns almost dirge-like and with a slight desert sunburn. I’d probably put this album on to fall asleep to; I’m in no way implying this album is boring. The softness, depth of sonic field, and slight melancholy cause almost immediate disassociation and relaxation. Absolutely worth at least one listen.
