EP Review: Dead Slow Hoot - 'A Kinder Kind'
Dead Slow Hoot’s ‘A Kinder Kind’ EP captures these tough times with an alt rock soundtrack equal parts anthemic and intimate.
Across seven beautiful songs, the Sheffield-based gang of dark horses have crafted a document that suits this shadowy moment down to a cliched T. I highly recommend it to fans of October Drift, although Dead Slow Hoot bring their own world into view throughout.
Opening track ‘Dark Pockets’ is a gentle re-introduction to the four-piece, following their 2019 debut album ‘No Reunions’. It leads nicely into ‘Gesticulating Wildly’, and shows a band not afraid to reach for the atmosphere, crafting a post-rock soundscape over the top of grinding guitars.
‘Low Road’ feels somewhat deceptive, using hazy guitar tones and fuzz to make a relatable piece about bleak places. When vocalist Hugo Lynch sings “I’m using outside to colour my cheeks, leaving myself just out of reach”, you feel you might never surrender.
Hugo’s voice feels like it would make a Chinese menu sound emotional. This is especially true with ‘Ocean On All Sides’, a ballad with a cinematic ending. It centres the EP nicely, feeling integral to the sounds of Dead Slow Hoot, as the singer recites: “There’s no end in sight, ocean on all sides”.
‘Taller Tree’ explores a different side to ‘A Kinder Kind’. Thematically similar to ‘Low Road’, it races away, powered from a crucial post-punk drum base. With obvious roots in Joy Division and Interpol, it grows to become a document of the gloom of the 2020s.
Penultimate track ‘Until Your Breathing Drowns It Out’ is a further highlight, marrying poetic lyrics and atmospheric guitars to create an anthem in waiting. Finale ‘Still Life’ wraps up an emotionally intense journey in a way that feels like it has successfully reached its destination.
‘A Kinder Kind’ balances a touch of sweetness with post-punk’s tougher moments, under the wise production of David Glover and Balor Price. The end result is an EP that is crafted to feel bigger than its dark horse beginnings, but retains a sense of intimacy.
Are Dead Slow Hoot really dark horses? Perhaps. For the time being, they have the track to themselves, and they’re racing away.
Words by Samuel Draper