Review Summary: WE ARE BUILDING A WALL.
Down I Go are certainly hard to categorize by genre. The label of ‘Post-Hardcore’ gets thrown around perhaps too often these days and Down I Go aren’t certainly ones to fit correctly into it. If Post Hardcore is a set of different shaped toy blocks with their corresponding shaped slots, then Down I Go are forcibly inserting the circle block into the square hole. With their music so bizarre and lighthearted, yet structured and coarse can make them somewhat of a contradiction.
Paradoxes aside, ‘Gods’ certainly doesn’t sound like much else that’s been heard before, but it definitely succeeds in being engaging and listenable. Opening track of ‘Demeter’ features the band’s overall sound, including their distinctive guitar riffs as well as the throaty, gravely vocals to accompany them. A defining vocal point on the EP is during the last minute of ‘Demeter’ where an ever so charming British accent shines through whilst singing in repetition:
“Trapped living with Hades, stuck in the underworld, curse the pomegranate, it’s winter forever.”
This is second only to the almost falsetto like singing found on ‘Atlas’ which emphasizes the playfulness of the record and shows that Down I Go like to have a bit of fun whilst breaking boundaries. This is also justified by the bands showcase of unique instrumentation, subtlety hidden throughout (the saxophone outro of ‘Poseidon’ comes to mind).
The only fault to be found on the whole EP is that it’s over all too quickly. Four tracks aren’t very much to go on, as enjoyable as they are, and the 15 minute runtime can make the listener feel somewhat undernourished. However, despite that small flaw, ‘Gods’ is an incredible EP that delivers on imaginative lyrics and themes, expert musicianship as well as plenty of room for genre experimentation. To give synopsis to my thoughts: This EP is awesome and you should listen to it. Right now.
“Have mercy! Please spare us! Help us get back to shore!”
