Volcanoes - Shaking That Brass EP Review

Review of Volcanoes EP Shaking That Brass released through Indecan

'Shaking That Brass' is the latest EP from Sheffield four piece Volcanoes. It is five tracks that overall offer something original to the well-worn indie path, whilst sometimes straying into the just plain weird file.

'Temple' is well placed as the opening track; with a catchy chorus, it perfectly highlights lead singer's Samson Bedford unusual vocals and some strong guitar work from the rest of the band.
'What you came for' arrives with less force, but keeps the nice guitar melody and sharp vocals that feature more or less throughout the EP.

'Eagle Eye' is probably the most typical indie track on the EP; you could dance to it easily and overall it's pleasant enough to listen to. However, compared to the earlier tracks, which create a much better sound, it has less of an impact and is more easily forgettable.

The two final tracks, 'Oliver Charles Darwin' and 'Making Progress', both show how different one band can be on the same EP; a brass arrangement is thrown into the mix in the former, which shows there is more to Volcanoes than just tight guitar playing.

The latter has some seemingly misplaced rapping/scratching hybrid which is more puzzling then awful. The musical arrangements to this track work much, much better than the indie rap itself - Bedford should take this EP as an opportunity to try out this skill, but actually refrain from using it on any future album.

With this EP and its accompanying press blurb, it is clear that whilst Volcanoes are content to be branded an indie band, they have a burning ambition to be un-typically indie. That is, they are playing familiar indie sounds differently. For the most part this works and is enjoyable to hear. The use of a bass guitar in a couple of the tracks, particularly, really adds something to the EP. 'Shaking That Brass' is the ideal opportunity for Volcanoes to experiment and as such, that is what they have done. Let's just hope that rapping will not feature in any of their future works.

Rating: 6/10

Katy Ratican