Hello once again dear readers; hope you’ve all had a decent Easter break. Time to review some local music and this time it comes in the form of Absolution Inc‘s debut EP Maze.
One question before we start: is it pronounced “ink” or do we go the full incorporated here?
Technicalities aside, Absolution Inc are a five piece indie band from Belfast and Maze is their debut EP following two stand-alone singles that were released last year.
Out of the gates we have the track A Question Of Yes and No, this track has a nice punchy swing which is fitting as lyrically this seems to be about getting into fights after the bar calls time. The vocals have a distinct “norn iron” twang to them which is welcomed; too many vocalists these days are pretending to be from across the water so it’s nice hearing a voice that matches the location.
The track clocks in at just over two and a half minutes which is great if they were a punk band but the song doesn’t really do much in that time. The abrupt finish is pretty jarring as well, where everyone just stops and you’re kinda left thinking “oh…ok”. This can be put down to what may sound good live not translating as well in the studio.
Next is the title track of the EP, Maze and maybe it’s something to do with the decent weather we’re having but coupled with the upstroke acoustic guitar chords this one has got me feeling pretty summery. I also found myself swaying uncontrollably to this which is making me glad I’m writing this in my house and not in a cafe like I originally planned.
This is a catchy song with a hummable chorus but wait…what’s that I hear? Is that a freaking whistling solo?!? It is! Not since Mike and The Mechanics (go ask your dad) has there been a more fitting whistling solo in a song. The whole song deals with bottling up feelings and contrasts with the upbeat arrangement. Overall a good track but the ending once again jars, with the drummer kinda left on his own to finish when he sees fit.
For the last track we strip back even further with Land So Pretty where strong vocal harmonies lead to a gushy love song full of wanting to be somewhere where their surroundings can better reflect the beauty of their love. Y’know the kind of song you write for a girl to prove how deep and poetic you are…
I mean as far as love songs go it’s good and it doesn’t stay around long enough to get sickening, but what energy this EP started with has just dissipated at this point. That’s the thing with this EP as a whole, the energy of this band just drains in three tracks and you’re left once again going “oh…ok”. Perhaps one more track breaking out the electric guitars would have given this EP a better conclusion and given you a better idea of what the band would be like live.
However, we still have three solid tracks that show great depth, but those harmonies need to be explored more in future releases. Absolution Inc(orporated)’s Maze can be found on their Spotify and iTunes and their Facebook can be found here.
Neil Woodside is a cynical old fart so you can go tell him off for hating on gushy love songs on his Twitter. Do you have an EP/Single/Album/Gig you would like us to check out? Contact PastieBap at PastieBap1@outlook.com
