It is funny how some band generate hype instantly, while other have to fight for their legacy for many years, even decades. Sometimes it's about finding the right producers, and sometimes it's just the matter of luck. Members of collective Blaenavon are not joking anymore. From boys who started playing few years ago just for the sake of killing boredom, they have come to collaboration with Jim Abbiss, a producer who worked with Arctic Monkeys and Adele, and managed many European summer tours. Only few months following the release of their debut That's Your Lot, Blaenavon have made their fans happy with brand new EP named after one song from their first full length record. I am not sure how clever this move is from the commercial perspective, since people are going to think it's just a compilation of the song's remixes, but I kind of give them kudos for different approach.
Alongside title track that is practically a promo single, mini album holds three more songs that didn't find their place on the main album. Stylistically, each song is on a trace of indie rock with a sprinkle of 90s britpop, and they are characterized by shifts in tempo followed by explosive choruses supported by sharp guitars. Just listen to Prague '99 and you will hear what I am writing about. The Monte Carlo Kid brings the dose of pop humor, so the album gets optimistic and exuberant atmosphere in these three minutes. Other two songs are melancholic, decent ballads powered by guitars and Ben Gregory's vocal. In A Death In The Family, he is joined by piano, while lo-fi approach of intimate 12 raises the tension to a new level.
If you don't want to sink into the greyness of this autumn, Blaenavon are there to shake your mood up.
