Reviews

As We Leave – Stop Making Plans EP

• 23rd Jun 2022

If you’re looking for something smooth and sonically pleasing for a summer evening’s listening then Isle of Wight quartet As We Leave might just be the band for you. With a relaxed feel that adds a psychedelic edge to a world weary Americana sound, the band produces melodic songs in soft focus with some great hooks. As We Leave has one previous EP to its name, 2020’s Everything To A Point.

Lead single Rarely Been So Long opens this four track EP with a steady guitar sound before the vocal comes in, giving a jaded air before some lovely harmonies add colour. Ultimately the song feels hopeful with some nice touches of guitar bursting through. What We Become flows nicely, again the sound is smooth and melodic with a lovely instrumental finish.

No Atlas is an intricate construction, full of melody and delicate phrasing. Soft and warm, the vocals swell over a sea of sound in a manner just a little reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Closing track Wood For The Trees has a more electronic feel, the pace slightly faster behind an insistent drum beat.

As We Leave have a vintage style with a modern edge. The smooth vocals and musically complex backing give their songs a pleasant feel, with some lovely guitar lines adding a slight edge. The band writes, produces and records all of the tracks themselves, and the end result is a good EP with a rather different sound.

Release date: 24 June 2022

Label: Abbey Records