Everyone an Army – A coastal Dance on the Grave of Romance

Say it out loud. Go on, say it: “A Coastal Dance on the Grave of Romance.” Doesn’t it just roll off the tongue?

The titular track, which also serves as the opener to the EP, A Coastal Dance on the Grave of Romance, is similarly catchy in parts, with its deathly waltz rhythm, though it then descends into heavy progressive guitars during what must be the chorus. The stop-start of the style is such that you have to sit up and listen; no bad thing for a small band trying to get heard.

‘Versailles’ is similar in its ‘loud chorus quiet verse’ structure. But it’s better than its predecessor; the intricate details such as the well-timed bass guitar notes come across far more easily and it’s also arguably lyrically stronger (although lacking a similarly clever title). There’s just something about any line regarding the undressing of people with eyes that can’t fail… The last minute is where ‘Versailles’ really takes off though, following on from a wonderful bass solo that grows into noisy beast.

Martyn Hughes’ vocals haven’t been mentioned yet, have they? Well, they’re really good. They tie everything together with an unfaltering confidence, yet come across almost dreamily delicate at times, such as his stretched-out singing “young and lost” in ‘Versailles’. They’re certainly the highlight of the EP, if not the entire band itself.

That said, there’s nothing about A Coastal Dance on the Grave of Romance EP that really says…coastal. There’s no use of seagull or wave noises for example. Everyone An Army seem happy to eschew the use of any noises that don’t come from the three-piece themselves – and so they should. They’re noisy enough as it is.

So it must be assumed that the ‘Coastal’ influence comes from their hometown of Scarborough – although it’s pretty hard to think of any other music that’s come from the city to compare the band to, or even anything good that’s come out of Scarborough since that one famous ‘Scarborough Fair’ song. You can’t especially trace Everyone An Army’s songs to any particular geographical point, but that isn’t a bad thing. Perhaps it’s worth focussing more on the ‘Dance’ and ‘Romance’ parts of the EP’s title – there’s certainly enough off-kilter lyrics to fulfil the latter’s use, and as for dancing…well, it might be tricky but let’s not forget the opening track is a waltz.

‘Venous Hum’, aside from being more of the same noisy brilliance, is apparently a benign phenomenon where blood flow causes vein walls to vibrate and hum, typically near the collarbone (thank you internet!). It’s also known as ‘bruit de diable’, or ‘the Devil’s noise’, which happily makes for a good description of the track. It’s just a little bit too similar to the previous two tracks to really be a stand-out on the EP, but is still good all the same, with clever guitar sequences and punishing percussion.

Things come to a close with ‘The Christmas Truce’, which aptly begins with militant marching drums before introducing an exquisite track that plays with time structures and sounds much more delicate than everything else on the EP. The reverb feeds into Hughes’ vocals perfectly, and this song more than any other showcases just how clever Everyone An Army is. There is thought behind their EP, and no doubt meticulous planning to make everything work. Whatever they did, it’s paid off.

Words: Coral Williamson.

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