EP Review: Odd Morris - 'Cityscape the Ballet'
Dublin quartet Odd Morris have been on the crest of a wave for some time so it’s welcome news that their eagerly anticipated debut EP ‘Cityscape the Ballet’ has finally washed up on our shores.
The atmospheric ‘Rose Like Smoke’ is a warming slow burner with narration duties shared between frontman Daragh Griffin’s vocals and the searching post-punk guitar lines. The latter act as a lighthouse to allow the rest of the track to sail safely past. The closing stages are reminiscent of the tremolo moments of magic from Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘Maps’ or the Johnny Marr era of The Cribs on ‘City of Bugs’ with its heartfelt and intricate style.
Atmosphere is Odd Morris’ signature dish and perhaps the reason why so many parallels are drawn between them and fellow Dubliners Fontaines D.C. I imagine a constant reminder would quickly become tiresome in the same way it was likely the straw which broke the camel’s back when Sheffield’s Milburn couldn’t release a track without reviewers climbing over each other to remind everyone that they hailed from the same city as Arctic Monkeys. Hopefully these comparisons are tamed with the release of their debut EP as there’s strong evidence that there’s far more to them than just genre and geographical similarities to their peers.
Latest single ‘Silhouette’ doesn’t have as much to unpack and it’s a bit more to the point compared with the others on the record. Tempo wise it feels a little more consistent but there’s an unexpected bitterness about the vocal delivery which adds a welcome element of unhinged attitude.
Final outing and the title track ‘Cityscape the Ballet’ has a Mogwai vibe to it with its sound experiments sampled over a precise and well-drilled drum beat from Sam Martin. There’s a big build up but no bursting with light end point. Instead, it fades to a close in a style in keeping with the rest of the EP.
As a whole, the five tracks work well together to create a piece of art rather than a selection of individual songs which are thrown under the same umbrella. They don’t deviate too far from the same path but it’s all the better for it as the tracks share a common theme.
The band have put down their marker with this debut collection, so it’ll be intriguing to see if they carry on down the same path or seek out something different in the future.
Words by Richard Cobb