Well, this is just delightful. Basement Revolver’s ‘Agatha’ EP is a sombre affair, focusing on mental struggles and their physical manifestations, but there’s something sweet amongst the bitterness. Four tracks of poetic, anatomical and environmental imagery, it’s a dark but beautiful record and one to turn to for a moment of peace or clarity.
The vocals are so effortless it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish the words being sung. ‘Tree Trunks’ is understated and grungy, but the muddier guitars are cut with the angelic sound of singing. Written by vocalist Chrisy Hurn to try and describe the feeling of her panic attacks, it isn’t rushed and frantic like its subject matter; rather its sound mirrors the deflation and defeat of living in that state and the crushing feeling of anxiety.
‘Johnny Pt. 2’ broods to begin with but sounds lighter than its predecessor, its drums a percussive driving force, urging the track to move forward, much like its subject matter – the end of a relationship and the need to move on. There’s an upbeat quality in the heartbreak and, although looking back in sadness, a hope shines through as Hurn sings “my door will always be, always be open to you”.
“I am tired, I am weak […] I am wired, I am sweet.” ‘Mountains’ holds another contrast between the positive and the negative, the hopeful and the hopeless. ‘Bread & Wine’ begins with an intriguing drum beat, and the powdery vocals sound atmospheric. Basement Revolver’s new EP is a short but sublime treasure and a simple example of the most splendid indie-rock you could hope to hear.
KATHRYN BLACK