Post Rock Chimes With Real Depth
How to put pressure on yourself: Be a band that compares itself to 65 Days of Static and Ratatat. Those are two of my favourite outfits so it was with a large dose of cynicism that I took this track on.
A cynicism that was largely misguided.
Three Colours come out into the spotlight with 'Firefly', a sweeping, building grand narrative of a track, with lots of Foals-esque rhythm guitaring and vocals far better than the usual stock whining the genre is known for.
After a slow start, the first break really does give the listener a big injection of Foals. A more disgruntled person might call it derivative. It maintains enough of a unique identity to invite a positive comparison. A melodic guitar loop accompanies a chorused lament before even more layers are added. For a first single, the production values are plainly evident to hear. Three Colours are clearly a band that takes things seriously. Or their producer is a miracle worker.
I mentioned vocals earlier. Tom Cajelo has the sort of voice that I'd quite like to hear everyday. A smooth vocal delivery that flicks between claustrophobic and emotional with no discernable gear change. It's difficult to give a comparison to an established vocalist as it would do him a disservice. The repetition at the end adds atmosphere and drives home the urgency, led by his voice, although the music acts as a fantastic travel partner, never sounding overproduced at any point.
So where's the downside? I mentioned the slow start and I couldn't help feeling that lopping off the opening 30 seconds would have actually helped but it's a minor quibble in what is an excellent 5 minute slice of post-rock electro-indie (with Latin drums).
This is chaotic and structured at the same time. A real magic eye poster of a song, it's only with repeated listens that the full depth of 'Firefly' is explored. Deceptive, this band deserve more than to be an afterthought or to head up the usual also-rans list. Whether or not they leave their native London for some time remains to be seen but if this is any indication of the post-rock people there, the capital has itself a real contender.