Going on a nice relaxing holiday can do wonders for the mind and body. No surprise then that when former Obsessive Compulsive duo Kelii and Giz returned from an extended walkabout they immediately set about forming a new band with creative juices at dam bursting levels. The result is an album that is full of focus and melody but still has the intensity that has been their trademark for many years. When real life partners make music together it can open up a window into what is a very private world. Despite the obviously feisty nature of ‘Unfolding’, the overall picture is one of real harmony and togetherness which bodes well for both band and couple.
Joined on drums by the man known as Jim, this three piece may have only been around for a year or so but have already been making waves on the live circuit. It’s often difficult for a band to recreate their live vibe on recorded material but here The Empty Page succeed by not overproducing their debut to death. It by no means sounds like a garage album but it does retain that rawness that fans will recognise.
Those people familiar with Kelii’s passionate delivery will feel right at home listening to her new outfit. Falling on the rasping side of clean rather than pure screamo you get to hear the lyrics as they are intended, within the music. So often people end up having to Google them simply because half of the words are unintelligible. To be able to pull off real intensity like this with the message getting through in real time is a trick not all singers manage to pull off. How often do we strain to listen to a song being sung by someone that sounds like they’ve not finished eating their pudding yet?
When it has its groove on ‘Unfolding’ is nothing short of masterful. Those peaks are occasionally muted by a little retrospective discord that takes the gloss off purely because it halts the natural flow. It has to be remembered though that Pantera had a similar criticism levelled at their ‘Cowboys From Hell’ record and that didn’t do too badly. Combining gnarly alt rock with feisty punk rhetoric, The Empty Page may well be the right band at the right time, with the right album.
GARY TRUEMAN