Musing Experimental Rock
An opener of almost 7 minutes is a statement of intention, with 'A Last Act of Desperate Men's furious drumming, chiming guitars and climactic, soaring synths spelling out a certain insouciance, The Longcut declare themselves to be a powerful force in melodic experimental rock. Rather like a big eclectic family, every instrument seems to have a personality and role to play in the overall mellifluous soundscape.
Crashing guitars break out in 'Gravity In Crisis' which takes on a reticent techo feel with robotic vocals wrapping around your eardrums; while single 'Transition' grants a little more freedom to the forceful spoken word. The guitars step up as the driving force on this break neck anthem with enough power to blow all the amplifiers clean off the ground!
The rock musings are instantly countered by the twinkling, dreamy 'A Tried And Tested Method' and understated instrumental 'Holy Funk' which is full of echoing guitars and longing synths raising the hairs on the back of your neck with their mysterious power.
'A Quiet Life' is far from what the title suggests; a hardcore scramble through gritty riff, bursts of brash vocals and a pounding drum beat, which could leap straight from a vicious rock track. Such rock marvels are quickly followed through the album by more stoic tracks, in this instance slow-burning 'The Kiss Off' followed by sultry 'Lonesome No More!'. 'Vitamin C' is an epic airy number that begs you to close your eyes and be swept away.
A delightful mixture of experimental smashing rock and introspective indie musings, 'A Call And Response' is like Editors slowed down and equipped with more instruments and an infinite desire to philosophise instrumentally. It's a charming and beautifully sculpted album that's a definite grower with the tracks maturing with every listen.