Review | SLANT – My Friends Are All Machines EP

Label: Pool Valley Music

‘All My Friends Are Machines’ is the debut EP from Brighton five piece SLANT. Starting it out with some hazy, sleazy Tarantino-esque 60’s lounge-jazz in ‘Wallow City’, SLANT soon take a wander through indie, rock and afrobeat and that’s before we’ve even left the first song. When the reverb drenched guitars ebb away, the punchy guitars and lively drums join the powerful and soaring vocals as they spit “I escape out at night just to feel something”. As the track builds and towers over you, the vocals really make themselves known as they illuminate the speakers with stunning power.

‘Eat The Moon’ sees SLANT put their take on rockabilly with the tipsy swagger paired with all the joy of pup punk major chords. ‘Nightcrawlers’ slithers in next with the muted guitars opening up in chorus as the breathy vocals add to that eerie sense that builds through the tracks.

’75” TV Screen’ hits you with beautiful vocal harmonies from the off as SLANT ask “do you live within your means with your 75” TV screen?” These Fleetwood Mac style group vocal harmonies pepper the track and it adds a beautiful layer to the desert rock style swaying guitars.

While SLANT touch on various genres, it all feels very much pulled together and never jarring. As well as walls of noise, SLANT also show that they are more than capable of delivering gorgeous vocals and sweet soaring guitar work. With a strong aesthetic and an even stronger debut EP, SLANT have everything ahead of them.