pretty much like standing at a bus stop in a blizzard with no hat on and waiting half an hour until you can get on the number 73 to warm your ears up
There must be a thousand and one indie bands from Greater Manchester and almost every one of them, famous or not, sound like they’ve stood out in the rain a little longer than the rest of us. That’s why they’re always so moody and melancholy about everything. Easter carry that trend on impeccably. Take the lead track of this EP, Don’t Sink, which is pretty much like standing at a bus stop in a blizzard with no hat on and waiting half an hour until you can get on the number 73 to warm your ears up. Nobody in the band sounds like they can be bothered about anything for about five minutes, but then they perk up a little about two thirds through. The title track is more of the same in that this is something like waiting for the last bus back home. Hooked On is a little looser than the others and never quite feels like it hangs together properly but it still has enough about it to keep you listening all the way through it’s extended jam section at the end. Listening To Silence may seem like a strange concept for a song to talk about, but is probably the most likeable track on here. It shuffles along like a teenage boy dragging his feet but the spacey guitars paint some nice little pictures for you and even the drummer sounds like he’s woken up a little bit.
Hob Talk suffers from the same problem most indie bands do nowadays in that the songs are pretty hard to differentiate from each other, which isn’t really a good sign for a four song EP. Though you’ll get the opinion that these guys have a fair ways to go before they write something that will truly knock your socks off – there’s something here. Maybe they just need to get out from that cloud they’re stood under, or simply cheer up a bit? Either way I think there’s a light of hope here. You won’t love them yet, but it could be worth checking in with these guys again next Easter to see what they can come up with next.
Words: Damian Leslie