Label: Big Banging Records
By Anthony Heron
In short, the Leeds outfit live up to their reputation with this outing. The sound is experimental without being pretentious and they manage to find a balance between their slower songs and their more raucous ones. The sequencing of the tracks makes the EP a pleasure to listen to, each song flows seamlessly into the other.
The EP has a sense of joy and togetherness throughout. These songs are not to be listened to, they’re for dancing, and wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack of a classic 70s film. They build this sound up with the incorporation of string elements like the violin to give the sound an added layer of sophistication.
On repeat listens you’ll find new things to like on each track; they’re all filled to the brim with their own sonic quirks and niceties. It’s genuinely hard to pick a favourite among the five songs.
Earworms like ‘Parasite’ and ‘Bullet Train (Frida)’ are particular standouts. The former has a great chorus and the latter delivers vocal harmonies with a groovy breakdown at the three minute mark.
As much as the project is a credit to the band’s talents, with the large assortment of instruments in a six-piece, a moment has to be taken to appreciate how well the EP is mixed. Engineered at Lightship 95, a boat studio in London, the five tracks were then put together by Ben Hardy and Zahara Munoz-Vicens, whose production talents are evident with the clear and crisp sound on the record.
On that crucial first EP, most bands are finding their feet, but PARTICLS have come out swinging, establishing a sound that is very distinct and unmistakably their own.
Listen to ‘Every Now & Then‘ here: