glitttery, indie magic from Exlovers.
After playing support for the likes of Pete Doherty, London based five-piece Exlovers have sung, plucked, beat and strummed their way into our hearts. Their latest EP ‘You Forget So Easily’, released 14th September, is a soaring, love-fest of indie magic, perfect to keep you warm as autumn sets in.
First track ‘You Forget So Easily’ is a perfect slice of indie-pop and while the upbeat melody will set your spirits soaring, there is an underlining sweep of melancholy throughout. This perfectly sums up the EP from the beginning. It may be sweet but it is certainly not sugar coated. Like real life, every silver-lining has its grey cloud. ‘You forget so easily’ lets you revel in this and feel excited and giddy in its truthfulness and realism. Continually, ‘Just a Silhouette’ is a little shiver of magic from the very beginning, as a steady bass beat joins a simple, yet perfectly worked guitar part, then melts into beautiful, harmonious vocals and an uplifting drumbeat. It will make you smile at strangers. Literally.
For all intents and purposes ‘New Years Day’ sounds like it was written by the late, great Elliot Smith. Apart from the obvious differences in vocals, it is so stylistically similar that it leaves you with an odd feeling of Déjà Vu and this essence of familiarity continues with last track ‘The Moon Has Spoken’, once again filled with the same Smith-esque chord progressions and melodies. Is this detrimental to the EP? No, in a word. Both songs are excellent, if a little eerie and work well in themselves without sounding like knock-offs; a hard thing to pull off, but Exlovers have.
Throughout the five tracks of ‘You forget so easily’ spanning from melancholic lullabies to fast-paced guitar driven punches of indie-pop, there is one word which seems to ring in your mind. Accomplished. Exlovers have managed to hang the wreath of truth and realism over every single track, whilst holding it all together with a solid production from Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) and a knowing sense of their own aims. It’s not often that an EP grabs you and pulls you in so quickly. This is down to hard work, excellent musicianship and the ability to know exactly what you want to create and then; delivering that.