EP review: COUNCIL, MARISA AND THE MOTHS

Website [Release date 23.06.20]

Council is made up of 3 brothers and they are based out of NYC now. They have gone the organic route by building up a fan base by interacting with them, playing plenty of live shows and streaming gigs, plus racking up over 4.5m streams on Apple Music alone.

Impressive stuff, but what of the music? If you like Imagine Dragons, the vocal harmonizing of Bastille and their own musical stamp of electronica, with tasty guitar riffs and percussion.

Hard to choose a favourite as all four songs have their own pluses. ‘Haunts Me’ is the heaviest, based on a simple yet effective guitar riff, lots of electronica and those vocals. That is the band’s main selling point, the vocals and the melodies as ‘Savages’ proves, a radio hit if ever there was one.

‘Born Ready’ may just steal song of the EP. From its bombastic backbeat, the vocal arrangements/effects and chorus, makes it a song to play again and again. ‘Get Numb’ is a synth wave delight, this is the song that reminds me of M83’s ‘Midnight City’.

Four songs, all killer, no filler. More please! ****1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

MARISA AND THE MOTHS Stripped www.marisaandthemoths.com

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a single, is it an EP? No, I’m not entirely sure what Stripped, by female fronted Reading based alt rockers Marisa & The Moths is. But I guess that’s where we’re headed in the digital world.

What it is, is 3 acoustic ‘bonus’ versions of tracks featured on the band’s self-titled debut released late last year, an album laced with a liberal grunge element that will limit its appeal to those who have at least some tolerance of the genre.

Stripped, on the other hand, is like a trip back to 1989, and bands like All About Eve. And to this reviewer at least, it’s a positive step in the right direction and far easier on the ear with some haunting melodies and excellent vocals from singer, songwriter and guitarist Marisa Rodriguez.

The format, appended by cello, exposes a soft underbelly and a depth to the songs not immediately apparent on the album, and should significantly broaden the band’s appeal.

Available separately to the album as a single digital download on Bandcamp, Stripped is somewhat overpriced in that format for £5, but you’ll also find videos for all three tracks ‘filmed in isolation’ on YouTube. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

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