It is some 18 months since I last reviewed a recording by Crying Club, which was the single Taxi Man, but I did see them at EmoFest last year where three of the songs on this five-track thirteen-minute-long EP were played. While their music is solidly rooted in the indie scene, they manage to also bring in other genres as they cross genres, bringing rock and metal quite strongly into their poppy mix. Whatever style they are playing there is always plenty of intensity and passion with vocals which may not be the most melodic but are just right for the accompaniment. Two of their quicker songs, Litterbug and Christmas With a K (which must be one of the most direct drug songs since JJ Cale delivered Cocaine), are both under two minutes in length and while the first is an anthem with a catchy chorus the second is all about nice intricate repeated guitar lines, although it is quite a shock when it finishes as it feels like it is just starting to get going.
It does not matter if it is their more high-octane numbers, or those which are somewhat slower and longer, one of their strengths are the arrangements. They have a powerful rhythm section who keep it nice and tight, knowing when to push and when to provide the solid floor and it this which allows the guitars and vocals to move in quite different directions. It would not take much for them to be full-blown emo, with How To Say being a fine example, while there are also times when they are moving much more in a metallic direction, although there use of breaks and space ensures there are plenty of dynamics and contrast in what they are doing. It certainly feels they have moved a long way since I first came across them, and here they have managed to capture some of the energy which makes them such an interesting band to see in concert. This Poneke quartet are certainly interesting in the way they explore different areas instead of staying locked solidly in one area, and I am sure this is something many fans of indie rock will enjoy exploring.
Rating: 6/10
