A dreamy, nineties shoegaze-style indie rock soundscape, meets with a beautifully calming melody and a delicate leading voice with wonderful depth, for this – the opening EP single from strangeculprtits. Top it all off with a poetic lyrical backbone, feeling all at once intimate, personal, yet vague enough to be accessible, and what you get is a refreshingly nostalgic look at indie rock doing what it does best.
Smiths Creek is an indie fan’s dream to escape into. A driving ballad of sorts, simple and rhythmic enough to give it the sort of strength that Ocean Colour Scene once brought to the stage. Sadness and familiarity work in unison to let this song really connect, and it does – in a profound and hypnotic manner. The lyrics that stand out do so amidst seductive musical peaks that reinforce their longing, often abstract nature in a likable, strangely soothing but melancholic way.
Further sealing the deal is a song called Namesake, one that effectively lights up the grunge-esque aura merely hinted at by the vocals in Smiths Creek. Now that the voice is familiar, this fuzz-soaked warmth, this pop-rock energy, has a style and a name that you can trust in. The style is their’s right now, and while the energy is higher here, the passion more notable, less intimate, still it feels perfectly in keeping with all that strangeculprits represent.
This subtle eclecticism offers a short EP that hits with impact, and furthermore – introduces a band that would almost certainly put on a superb live show.
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