Thursday 19 December 2013

Skies Below - "Prologue" EP review

Occasionally a 3 track EP release can leave the listener hungry to hear more from an unfamiliar name. This is most certainly the case with “Prologue” by Skies Below. Featuring an absurdly fascinating mix of guitar, bass, drums, vocal and…cello, each of the three songs loses no time in creating powerfully moving atmospheres.

The voice of Liz Porcayo is at once deeply expressive and strangely disturbing, almost reminiscent, it could be argued of Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane. This element to the music lends it an almost “late 1960’s” feel which brings with it its own charisma and appeal. “Hive” for example has a variety of textures and standout instrumental layers, which pull together to retain the listeners’ attention. There are desperate pleading vocals; almost blast beat percussion and intricate guitar lines that form a majestic cohesive whole. Thankfully the use of cello in the arrangements is never used a gimmick, and sits gracefully in the mix alongside its team members creating a dense, luscious soundtrack. There is a slightly chaotic tension to the music here, which is not meant to be said in a disparaging way, as there is obviously control and narrative to the arrangements too…

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