Review Summary: They've been very innovative in promoting this free download, but the pleasant yet sombre music isn't quite as fascinating...
The other day I was browsing through my local record shop with not much money in my pockets, searching for not much. You can imagine my delight then at finding a cardboard CD case with the words “To Kill A King – Word of Mouth EP” on the cover, and scrawled in the corner “Free, Thanks for finding me”. Well CD, you are very welcome. Pleasure’s all mine!
After a quick Google I find that TKAK have had a fun time promoting this. It’s available as a free download (http://www.wordofmouthep.com/) but for a physical copy fans have put up posters, sent out letters in bottles and even hijacked the train electronic notice board, all promoting the EP. (There’s a gallery on their website.) It’s a fairly innovative way to get yourself heard, but is the music as exciting as the distribution methods?
It opens with the subtle echoing synths of “Howling”, the morose vocals take centre stage, and the drums skulk in the background… and then the mood changes: suddenly they sound very much like The Maccabees, with floaty, dreamy, scuttling guitars and high vocals.
“Funeral” starts with pulsating reverb reminiscent of Four Tet’s ambient sounds, then a sweet tangy guitar, layered vocals, leading up to a vibrant chorus: “…They’ll be hanging at my funeral, just to make my parents proud”. It’s a reflective song and half way through the vocals shift into just being another instrument, intoning “coming around, coming around”, before returning to that chorus as the song crescendos, then stops as it started.
“Besides She Said” shifts elegantly between time signatures. A flamenco guitar line merges into a plodding waltz for the chorus. “Wolves” is a highlight. It has a stronger tune than the other tracks, it’s edgier. There are twangy, country riffs and lyrics about “just sitting in a bar”. They literally howl “wolves will keep you waaaarm”.
But if there was a track to dance to on this, it’s “Rays”. The sound is fuller and more playful and upbeat. We finish off with a slower track, “Let It Die”. It swells beautifully, before cooling again and then closing down a second before you expect.
Personally, I find that the singer needs to up the ante to breathe more life into the songs, and by the end of the EP I still felt that they hadn't quite given it their all. That aside the other issue here is how much they do sound like The Maccabees, except maybe they're a bit sombre sounding for that.
Still, how wrong can you go for £0.00?
