Rapid Fire Reviews: Extending Our Plays

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Every year there's somewhere between a million and a billion EPs that I wish I could review but never get the chance to. Probably so many that I could organize these reviews into the same kind of loose categories that I do for regular rapid fire reviews but I'd rather just try and grind out as many as possible. These are a trio of EPs that I have been wanting to talk about from the early days of 2022. Enjoy <3

Alto Arc - Alto Arc
Alto Arc is an extremely strange new music project from a group of collaborators that genuinely feel picked out at random. PC Music album Danny L Harle teams up with Deafheaven singer George Clarke, Trayer Tryon of indietronica act Hundred Waters, and veteran make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench. If that lineup sounds crazy to you that's because it is crazy and I had no idea what to expect from the final project but holy shit, Alto Arc is an insane debut for the super group. Opening track The Model Gospel sounds like a Lingua Ignota inspired neo classical noise tune working these synthetic organ chords into an expansive backdrop over which anguished screaming vocals are allowed to let loose. Breakout tune Nocebo sports the unlikely combo of Crystal Castles channeling electronic distortion palettes and aggressive almost preaching spoken word. The EP is an absolute whirlwind in every sense of the word as the band shifts their style both sonically and thematically repeatedly across this EP and even within each of the songs. Pieces of the EP almost sound like they are about to break into something more raw, beautiful and vulnerable only to do a complete 180 into a passage of shredding black metal vocals over clipping drum machines. It's hard for me to even try and describe this music and I don't think words do a good enough job of capturing it. I will say that comparisons help and the biggest comparison I can make, particularly in the second half of the EP is the weird combination of folk and noise struck on last years The Body & Big Brave collaborative album. Still for fans of any of the artists involved or just extreme and experimental music in general this think is quite the cerebral sonic experience with a variety of influences and pretty consistent execution throughout. I would kill to hear more from this collective at some point int he future. 8/10


Texas Moon - Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
Texas Moon is a sequel EP to the 2020 collaborative EP Texas Sun from the same collaborators. The original EP and its title track in particular became surprise hits for both artists involved, so it was no surprise with each coming off their last studio albums they decided to collaborate again. If you've followed this blog for a while it's also no secret that I'm not crazy about either of these artists and often for similar reasons. With that being said I came away from their last EP together mostly indifferent and not necessarily negative so I at least thought there was potential for them to improve here. Unfortunately I don't really hear any great strides made on this project. Though they also didn't get any worse, these songs are still sparse, wandering and occasionally catchy soul cuts. The band is in an extra nocturnal mode providing these spacious and slow developing compositions some of which are satisfying and ultimately rewarding, others are an absolute bore. I don't really see these songs as impressive enough to win over any new fans unless you're craving "vibes" so badly that you'll listen to anything even slightly psychedelic. But if you're a fan of the sounds these two artists bring and the way they came together on the first EP I can't see any reason why this wouldn't deliver in similar fashion. 5/10


Vino Valentino - Vic Mensa
After Vic released his debut album The Autobiography to mixed reviews I had mostly not touched any of his releases, at least in terms of writing actual reviews of them, until he released a pair of EPs in the last two years V Tape and I Tape. I Tape in particular featured some of the best Vic Mensa material I've ever heard including the standout single Shelter. That has me attentive to what Vic would do next and after he dropped a couple of singles this EP showed up seemingly out of nowhere. This EP runs pretty short at just 4 tracks and under 12 minutes but it has a pretty consistent sonic aesthetic running through. While there are occasional moments where Vic dials in a sharp rap verse or the extremely D'Angelo soul inspired closing track, for the most part this record is much more contemporary R&B flavored than your typical Vic outing. While he isn't necessarily a vocal showstopper and some of these instrumentals place him firmly among a lot of other modern artists within the genre, I think they're a solid set of tracks when all is said and done. It doesn't quite have the high points of I Tape it's an enjoyable collection regardless. 6.5/10



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