Review Summary: An EP that just won’t let you stay sitting in your seat.
Seven members. Fourteen Instruments. If there was only one thing you needed to know about Melbourne based Snowy Belfast; it’s that. After taking some time off following the untimely death of their previous lead singer and chief song writer, James Cross; Snowy Belfast have exploded back onto the Melbourne scene playing venues all over Melbourne and recently releasing their debut EP titled Odds and Ends.
The EP is a mash up of indie folk, pop, country and rock; giving a little taste of what Snowy have to offer to anyone that is fortunate enough to check them out. Kicking off with their debut single ‘Cry No More’, the bands collective talent immediately culminates in a catchy and upbeat country folk tune that leaves you wanting more. The complimentary vocal harmonies are enough to entice anyone to continue listening. Luckily for you, there are still four more tracks to come.
Followed immediately by ‘Bones’; its pleasant melody and soothing slide guitar lulls you into thinking this might be any other slow song. However within a mere minute the beat kicks in, the instruments get louder and the track swells with the power of an immense build up; and the listener is suddenly found swimming in a sea of vocal melodies as the track climaxes. Bones will leave chills running up and down the spine of any of those listening, only to be followed with the satisfying resonance of aural bliss.
Snowy don’t stop there, however, as they jump straight into the incredibly pop-centric and catchy piano riff and beat of ‘Through You’. This song dares anyone to remain in their seats and not dance along. Its catchy lyrics and melody are likely to be in your head for weeks, humming along and not even realizing it.
Fashioning to slow it down just long enough for you to try and catch your breath, the talented seven then proceed to take it away with the heavily folk driven song ‘The Grasp’. The vocal melodies, once again, leave the listener wondering where this band has been all their life. The harmonica flows with such ease it seems almost that it was made to be used for this track and no other. The subtle piano, too, compliments the track so essentially that it wouldn’t be the same without it.
Caught your breath? Good. It’s time to lose it again with the final track on the EP titled ‘100 Feet of Rope’ in which the band blast your ears with an immensely catchy country rock riff and vocals. The songs breaks and fast paced beat will make you want to clap and stomp your feet the entire way through. The violin and cello parts are evidence of musicians that know how to use their instruments to compliment an overall track rather than overpower it, and the drumming fills will be a joy to listen to for any percussion enthusiasts.
On the whole, Snowy Belfast and the seven members that comprise it are indeed worth keeping an eye on, and if their EP is anything to go by then big things are most assuredly going to be coming out of this band.
