The skinny: Hints of classic rock, some keyboard tricks and a pretty nifty rhythm section. “Rock music for a bar fight”.

The review proper: No easy way to say it, but ‘Shoot the sky’ is one of those songs that can mark a band, one of those songs that really stand up in a catalogue. The pace, the amazing bass playing (Stephen Clinton), the powerful drumming(Luke Ibbotson), the droning synth and the two voices (Gaz and Katie Barnes), each at a different, perfect volume level and a crisp, rich mixing that allows every single instrument to breathe in their own space, without confining them.

Maybe one problem this EP, Our War, has is following up such an album kicker. Of course anything that follows will pale in comparison, but that does not mean it’s not as good nor does it mean that isn’t a muscle to flex. ‘Our war’ is a chant, a call to attack, with a speech sampled in for good measure and a space that goes for staccato approach until breaking down in a full band attack.

The second part of the EP, vocal duties are taken over by Katie Barnes (keyboards). It speaks well of a band where both vocalists can split vocal duties evenly, still sounding like the same band, still having the same style, never losing essence of who they are.

‘Echo’ is the first of these two songs. The pace is slightly slower, slightly contrasted by the spacey guitar and bass that’s just getting a good fret work.

If ‘Shoot the sky’ is the perfect choice for opening this EP, ‘To go’ is the decent bookend to cap it all off, with a dreamy synth and piano interval that lays out the road for the guitar outro, tying up all loose ends perfectly.

Interesting fact. If you have the EP in repeat, ‘To go’ and ‘Shoot the sky’ can book end each other almost perfectly. Maybe this cycle is intended. If so, take a bow.

—Sam

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