Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

The Contortionist And The Wandering Boy Poets - Regiments EP
Album Review

The Contortionist And The Wandering Boy Poets – Regiments EP

The opening guitar strums and gentle vocals that greet opener ‘Like Paper Plates’ bears a soft similarity to the charming intensities often displayed by artists such as Adem (in particular ‘Ringing In My Ear’). As the song develops it almost evokes a feeling of birds flapping their wings in the wind, as the flute whimsically wraps itself around the vocals to joyous effect. It’s a subtle, warm and vibrant opener.

On ‘Death, And A Mother’s Arms’ a more wholesome and fuller sound grows as the band come into play, it sounds multifarious without complicating matters and as the joint vocals hum and yelp, it induces that group dynamic that Tilly And The Wall often possess so well.

‘Regiments’ is great, the opening heavy handed pounding of the drum and country flavoured guitar lick is reminiscent of Cash’s version of ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ Yet it ends in an eruption of melodious vocals. The self-titled track is quite possibly the EP’s finest moment.

As the EP progresses the genre’s on display are as apparent and diverse as the influences. The band brush upon everything: Folk to Anti-Folk, Acoustic to Electric and from Americana to straightforward pop. It’s both refreshing and pleasurable to hear such a multitude of instruments on display but what makes the experience all the more pleasurable is that they are used precisely and work to glorious effect. Instead of fighting for space, they interchange and glide smoothly along; taking the songs with them. As a result the EP often flourishes from the diversity and variety of songs and talents on offer. Perhaps, at times the over-use of joint vocals, claps and stomps deter the record from really blooming into something it clearly has the potential to become; making the already sweet a little sickly at times. But this is a minor issue, as this is a lovely first EP that is earnest, honest, intricate and at times beautiful. EP closer ‘Through Monolithic Lines’ is testament to this.

Share this!

Comments

[wpdevart_facebook_comment curent_url="https://werk.re/2009/03/17/the-contortionist-and-the-wandering-boy-poets-regiments-ep/" order_type="social" title_text="" title_text_color="#000000" title_text_font_size="0" title_text_font_famely="Roboto Mono, monospace" title_text_position="left" width="100%" bg_color="#d4d4d4" animation_effect="random" count_of_comments="5" ]