An absolute delight
'The Ides EP' is like an attack on the senses, causing confusion and awe all at once. If this were the case in the hands of anyone less able then it would be comical, but, as it stands, frYars have produced a piece of work that will delight and astound with equal force.
'The Ides EP' is exactly what music should be. It is catchy but challenging; quirky yet harmonic. One in put in mind of what may have happened if Mika had traded stage for art school. Bowie is here, though not obviously. At times even, the quality of the songs, especially in the title track echo Talking Heads. High accolade indeed and, without doubt, well deserved.
The trend for art rock tends to forget that noise does not necessarily make for an inspired listen. What frYars does is hold the melodies at the centre of its songs, add in some rich, textured vocals and dreamlike lyrics and lets them simmer. The artistic side to frYars is still biting though – in closing track 'happY' the songs plays second fiddle to a barrage of stock sounds taken from film, TV and radio. It's surprising, shocking even, but reaffirms just how good and pioneering this EP is.
If you are a fan of music with an open mind then 'The Ides EP' really does deserve to be listened to. It is immensely fun, infectious and deep. In short, it really doesn't get much better than this.