For the mere three tracks that are on show, Maninkari show a keen eye for a tidy melody, fusing together heavier notes with tuneful and well thought out guitar riffs which work well together on ultimately simple, yet effective tracks. Hailing from Croydon they manage to just about pull off a sound that can be described as their own, despite the obvious ‘emo’ tag which will shadow them about.
A strung out guitar intro brings in ‘Losing Shelter’, a piercing stop-start number that never really gets going despite the strong vocals of singer/guitarist Rik Jackson. The track proves to be a precursor to the slightly improved ‘Behind Your Smile’ that chugs along at a similar rate without ever completely running riot to your senses while the best is saved for last with ‘Distance’, a wonderfully upbeat effort which finally realises some of the trio’s potential with some wonderful breakdowns mixed in with the upbeat nature of the song.
Having only been around for a mere 18 months or so, this is an accomplished demo for a band that shows the seeds of something that could become fairly special. This release will hopefully go a long way to helping them out and if they can just find that extra edge which is shown on the final track, then this could be the stepping-stone they are looking for.
www.maninkari.co.uk
info@maninkari.co.uk
Jay