Strong EP
Since we caught their fantastic performance at Swn festival in Cardiff this October we've been keen to check out what UK trio Effluence have pressed to record. This recently released EP encapsulates all the things we loved about them in the live setting - a heady mix of genres from garage-rock to punk and plenty more in between vie for attention and are backed by impressive vocals, scuzzy guitars (including nasty blasts of feedback) and fantastic rumbling bass lines.
The tracks on this EP show off the band's clever riffs, tracks like Milky and Stilts range from off kilter picking to all out, heavy duty blasts of static and EP opener Japan Eye has the bass and guitar playfully copying each other - a nice touch. The mix is great - solid rock riffs, power chords and intricate twiddling all combine to keep you on your toes and while their cong structures are quite complex at times they make it sound so easy and it all flows like a dream. Another talking point with Effluence is the sometimes uncomfortable lyrical content which makes you shake your head in bewilderment on occasion but also has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek so you smile while you're doing it.
This is a strong record - with no weak link in the chain to break the spell, the EP hooks you in immediately, we love Effluence's intensity, their clever riffs and ability to pen a memorable tune and will be keeping a close eye on them in the future.