Auckland, New Zealand trio Silk Cut came to life in early 2020, as a batch of songs inspired Andrew Thorne “all at once.” Thorne (guitars/vocals/synths) took his reverb pedals, added Aidan Phillips (bass/backing vocals) and Mike Burrows (drums/backing vocals), and produced ‘astronaut’ EP which is planned as the first of a pair of EPs.
This four-cut release is an indie-pop delight. Thorne describes the tracks as “echo-chamber daydreams,” which is an apt description. The songs all feature layered guitars and ear-coating harmonies. Phillips’ bass is prominent, driving the songs against Burrows’ in-the-pocket grooves. Synths and backing vocals fill out the sound space. There are lots of little parts and themes to pick up, if you want, or you can simply enjoy the catchy melodies and well-constructed overall sound. “Getting in Close,” the lead single, opens ‘astronaut’ EP. Phillips’ stellar bass propels the verse. He grooves and moves things along, and throws in just enough subtle variation to keep it interesting. There’s a cool switch of feel for the chorus, and lovely layered vocal stocks, especially on the refrain. “Dream King,” up next, keeps it going. Phillips’ bass is grooving again--especially on the breakdown section--with Thorne working in smooth guitar arpeggios and fills around the dreamy vocals. The auto-pan on the solo section was a bit disorienting; to this listener, the gimmick detracted from the solid playing. Silk Cut breaks out the ethereal synths for “Black Night Sky,” which is appropriate for a song about UFOs. Burrows’ drum patterns shine here, especially locked in with more great bass work from Phillips. Thorne’s guitar solo (with shades of surf-rock tone) is his best on the album, and he shows his keyboard skill with the multiple parts and sounds here. “Undone” closes the EP. Again, Phillips delivers a cool bass line, and the band lays down vocal harmonies reminiscent of Abbey Road. Keeping us alert, Silk Cut throws us a curveball (or bowls us an inswing, as they might say) by shifting to a heavy, scary-interval guitar-riff coda. They don’t go all-out metal on us (the tone is more indie than Iniquity), but the change in style worked as a nice contrast to the rest of the disc. ‘astronaut’ EP is an engaging, interesting album with terrific playing from the whole band. Four songs just isn’t enough! In good news, the companion EP is coming, and we’ll get more for Silk Cut soon. While we wait, give these four a shot in your indie-pop rotation.
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