Summers in Scotland can be fraught affairs with the threat of inclement weather never far away, even when the sun is shining. This tension is something the Junk EP by Glasgow’s Tuff Love mirrors perfectly.
Released on 10″ white vinyl via Lost Map Records, the EP initially appears to be just a joyful racket. Bassist Suse Bear (from fellow Lost Map signings Monoganon) and drummer Michael O’Hara create a propulsive, low-slung groove over which Julie Eisenstein’s guitar shimmers and shakes. Vocals hide in the mix, with the words that make up Bear and Eisenstien’s beautifully alluring harmonies perhaps less important than the overall musical effect. There is however a restlessness that, in the absence of overt meaning, gives rise to a feeling that something darker is at play. Like rain clouds lurking in the distance on an otherwise uncomplicated summer’s day there is a grain of grit at the heart of these five pearls, a melancholy undercurrent just below their sun dappled surface.
This dichotomy of darkness and light proves an addictive combination and, at only thirteen and a half minutes long, the Junk EP’s brevity lends itself to repeated listens. A fantastic debut.
I wrote a few words for @isthismusic on the Junk EP by @ReallyTuffLove: http://t.co/URKY8dUtsb
@ReallyTuffLove @isthismusic My pleasure!