This EP takes some recent material and adds more, so it includes recent minor smash ‘Tourists’ but includes ‘A Natural Swimmer’, a strident full-band effort which bubbles under for a verse or two before blossoming into a gorgeous chorus, complete with “ooh oohs”. This is almost a power ballad, it certainly has the chops, and Leo Bargery and his cohorts should be mighty pleased with the result.
The afore-mentioned ‘Tourists’ was a split single release with the mighty Foreignfox, previously reviewed by BM – it is a great song, again catchy, and darkly humorous – Dubrovnik and Southend-on-Sea both get a bit of beating, over some great harmonies and the ever present guitars just waiting like wolves to tear it up. Splendid! Leo can’t stand flying, or is the people you have to share the air with up there? Ha!
‘Purity’ is slower and more reflective and that Bargery voice is effortless and very distinctive – and the words, amazing. An inner dialogue song which gets to the quick, self-reflection taken to extremes… the beats pick up and the vocals become more passionate – there is a heart to this song and the playing also does it justice, another mini-epic from The Doubt.
Last track ‘Soft Furnishings’ references the EP title, and could be seen to be mocking ordinary life, or is it? It starts slowly but opens up into wide instrumentation – there are questions for the TV watchers, but maybe the narrator is just as culpable. ‘You and I’ – and it goes into the first person narrative at times, we all watch the idiot box after all, for different reasons – and there is the obvious reference to the Alan Sillitoe novel, or novella, which BM would have to say, have never read, but must be one of the most referenced tomes ever!
There has been a flurry of Mt Doubt releases recently – an album, an split, and this – pay attention to it and you will be justly rewarded – And the Giant Haystacks close encounter sounds not to miss, count BM in…