EP Reviews: It's Giving Experimental Rock

Knocknarea EP - Maruja

Maruja are an experimental rock band whose live performances I've seen passed along through grainy recordings on dorky music threads for a while now. They have a combination of prog and hardcore that will remind friends of Black Midi only more methodical. This EP's quietest moments are willing to be FAR more reserved and simplistic than Black Midi's but the band can also burst into a frenzy that feels much more grating and visceral. It's a comparison that really stuck with me once I heard this project's opening track Thunder when it dropped as a single. The song is so clearly inspired by Black Midi's sophomore album Cavalcade that you could almost try and slip it in as a more hardcore-flavored b-side. The second track and first single Blind Spot is even more patient though it reaches a level of noise that I'm surprised is even possible for a four-piece. The band's breakout track of sorts has been The Tinker. The track is a rushing, building piece of mostly instrumental rock which maintains all the sonic tenacity in the band but absorbs it into an unstoppable driving climax. Closing track Kakistocracy is the most Slint inspired of the bunch so I obviously enjoyed it. This EP is for the experimental rock adrenaline junkies. While it may not be the most refined sound in the genre right now, the band delivers an intensity and persistence that is hard to match. Sure this EP is a great proof of concept for what they could have in store down the road, but it's also just a great collection of tracks. 8/10

Bend Into A Blur EP - Clearbody

Bend Into A Blur is the newest helping from Charlotte shoegaze/emo band Clearbody who I first heard about when, well, when I met the drummer. She's very cool. But I got pretty interested in their sound mostly out of an admiration for bands like Hum whose heavier take on shoegaze is clearly a point of influence for Clearbody. Where they differ from a band like Hum is the vulnerability of the emotion on display. Emo may not be a label the band is comfortable bearing. I haven't asked, but the word helps a lot to evoke what gives them an intimate edge to contrast their distant layers of booming sound. That balance isn't sacred to everything they do, however. One point where the band is clearly playing favorites is on Feels Just The Same which stops briefly to show a more intimate side only for almost the entire runtime to be devoted to more crushing sonic textures and brooding intensity. On the other side of things is the sheer snark of lead single New Essence which has emo soaked into its very bones. On this EP the band embraces their heaviest music yet, but I'd argue that it's even more in their wheelhouse than 2020's One More Day. Still the band manages to walk a genre line thin enough to still maintain a unique artistry throughout. It's a pretty strong follow-up. 7.5/10

Swampy EP - Dry Cleaning

The new Dry Cleaning project features two new songs, two remixes, and a demo. Normally I wouldn't even stop to cover a project like that from a post-punk band whose first two albums I came away with just okay. But in the case of Dry Cleaning, the band has an extremely high ceiling. A short-form project like this at least has the potential to see them the closest to their peak yet. That didn't seem entirely impossible when they dropped the lead single and title track, a song that certainly would have been among the top half of songs on their sophomore album last year. Unfortunately beyond that song this project doesn't have a whole ton to offer. Sombre Two is the very definition of forgettable and while the very talented Bolis Pupil and Charlotte Adigery have an interesting idea for Hot Penny Day, the results aren't great. While Nourished By Time is an extremely interesting addition to Gary Ashby I'm not sure his contributions actually improve on the song once the novelty of his inclusion wears off. Ultimately this is just another collection of loose ends, though in the band's defense, that's exactly what it was promised to be. So in a sense they deliver. 5/10