The Attika State - Leave your dignity at the door
The Attika State hail from various parts of the world including Sicily, Mata and of course England. Each member of the band has the same dream, to make music that takes into consideration their backgrounds as well as their lives. After listening to this Ep, the history and backgrounds will get a little clearer.
After releasing their debut full-length album in 2005, the Attika State toured heavily for the following few years, gathering fans along the way. The band now takes the next step and releases this Ep titled, 'Leave your dignity at the door.' With this, they have encapsulated their trademark sound whilst at the same time developing on their melodies, resulting in more focused sounding tracks.
Listening to both the beginning and ending of the Ep, it sounds like a very rough album, due to the coughing introduction and hand-clapping conclusion. The Ep consists of 5 tracks, each one unique in its own way. The first two, 'Anchors' and 'Trial and error' are fairly upbeat, and incorporate a variety of sounds with the use of numerous instruments. Track three, 'Call that a knife?' has a blend of sounds. It begins much slower than the previous tracks but with a regularly changing beat and develops into a speedy number, which will get your toes taping, and your head bouncing to the beat.
The track 'Dieu mon abri' has a very unusual beginning in regards to sounds with the odd ping and bong. After you get over the initial one-minute musical introduction, the poppy rock indie tune will get you thinking – what does it mean? There is a roll of an opening to introduce the track 'Happy Birthday.' As with 'Call that a knife' the track begins slow, but builds up to climatic melodies, group vocals, and a variety of sounds such as violins.
The Attika State is able to provide simple yet catchy, pop-punk-rock tunes, with the occasional instrumental. They don't believe in following a trend to sell records, but start their own. Consider this Ep as a re-introduction to the band, and being present at a 20-minute gig in the comfort of your bedroom.