Enemies exist in that burgeoning sphere of bands, who somewhat sardonically scoff at the modern day post-rock scene, instead opting for a much more unfettered method of creating instrumental music. Sounding a tick like their Irish brethren, And So I Watch You From Afar, Enemies play a deceptively simplistic form of guitar-based rock, trading cascading melodies and sweeping orchestration for a down to earth, honest to goodness basic rock band sound. Perhaps this all sounds a tad paltry, as the band consists of merely four members. However, Enemies aren’t to be taken lightly, for their debut
We’ve Been Talking is sure to turn heads.
We’ve Been Talking is so perfectly crafted, so wonderfully well done, that even the most capricious listens will be incredibly satisfying. That being said, if one were to delve deeper, the album would reveal itself to be something more than a novelty, something more than a pleasurable fancy.
We’ve Been Talking is fantastic in that sense, for no matter how interested one is with the album, it will be a great listen nonetheless. On the surface, the album is incredibly catchy, with the math-y melodies and hammering bass and drums causing even the most disinterested listener to tap his/her feet with fervor. Looking past face value, however, the album becomes a much more musically relevant affair, with the constantly shifting time signatures and tempo changes proving to be endlessly fascinating. On paper it sounds contrived, that much is certain, but Enemies play it off with such a lax fashion, that it’s impossible not to imagine these sitting around in a garage, simply jamming whatever whimsicality comes to mind. This my friends, is what makes
We’ve Been Waiting such an evocative debut, as the unbridled creativity and boundless ideas contained within make this more than a simple “guitar rock” affair.
However, “guitar rock” is such a fitting tag, because everything about this album revolves around the inter-playing guitars. The bass and drums are there for obvious necessity (and they do a rather fantastic job), but let it be known, the spotlight is sedately fixated on the two guitarists. This becomes immediately apparent with the opener, ‘Backaches & Cardigans.’ The track starts with the loopy and intermingling guitarists trading notes, and quickly it divulges into more bombastic territory, with cymbal crashes and hammering rhythmic passages taking center stage. And this is where Enemies kind of falter a bit. This very track, as wonderful as it is, sort of sets the tone for the rest of the record. They don’t really tread too far away from this pre-established format, instead sticking with it a little too comfortably. However, with nine average length tracks,
We’ve Been Talking doesn’t wear out its welcome, but rather, has an absolutely wonderful, appropriate runtime.
Enemies's debut is fantastic--plain and simple. It’s grandiose, yet fantastically laid back, allowing itself to be enjoyed in a number of ways. While a little less restraint (in respect to songwriting) would have been nice, it doesn’t keep
We’ve Been Talking from showing the promise of these young men. So listen up, because this is certain to get you talking.
