It’s hard to believe that ‘Losing Colour’ is a debut EP. Middle Distance have a sound that’s so refined you’d assume the band have been perfecting their sound for years. Fusing together a core of indie, with a vocal style reminiscent of The Hotelier, and the sort of crisp, undistorted guitars usually found in math rock, this four piece from Buckinghamshire’s first effort is an infectious and highly enjoyable release.
Vocalist Patrick Lewin’s delivery is pure, unpolished and teeming with emotion, as if each line is lifted from a diary. It gives each song a strong narrative that’s extremely compelling, leaving you hanging on every word, waiting to discover what happens next. This narrative is helped by excellent lyrical content that’s both personal and relatable and Lewin’s warm tone is the perfect vehicle to make the story stick in your mind.
Behind the vocals is a backdrop of crisp, clean guitars that favour jangly chords and ambient lead lines over fuzzy distortion. It’s a sound that’s synonymous with math rock and ensures that every note counts, the clarity making each section prominent and effective. Across the four tracks the band offer a range of moods from ‘Blossom’s sparse, minimalistic atmosphere to the full-blooded anthem of ‘Losing Colour’. Each time, the balance between the vocals and the instrumentation fits the message of the song, the music never overshadowing the emotion in the vocals, but lifting the mood when bursts of energy are needed.
The atmosphere of the EP is enough to entice on first listen, however some tracks take time to fully make an impact. ‘New Hall’ with its prominent English-accented vocals that sound similar to Frank Carter’s Pure Love project, is one of those that takes some warming to, but once the lyrics take hold and the message becomes clear, it stands out as a real highlight on the EP. ‘Losing Colour’ is a fantastic debut and passes the acid test in that four songs just aren’t enough. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long for Middle Distance to serve up more of this kind of quality.
MARK JOHNSON