Yesterday saw our annual albums post, which means today is the showcase of our top EPs of 2013. Each of us has picked one particular EP that stood out to us, here they are:
Haraket – Ilk
“Haraket don’t tread much new ground on Ílk, but what they lack in innovation they more than make up for in solid production, tight songwriting and sensuous atmosphere. Abigail Hardiman’s vocals float above the band’s moody, reverby instrumentation which is refreshingly light on the laptop trickery but delivers the same end of the night / start of the morning haziness of their ambient, dubby South London contemporaries. Thankfully, it’s clear they are drawing influence from beyond their Peckham postcode, and the moments where the jazzier, more soulful sounds come through are where the EP really shines. I look forward to hearing them flesh that sound out even more in future releases.” Dave
Wes Tirey – I Stood Among Trees
“A dusty slice of American folk, I Stood Among Trees by Wes Tirey is a literate EP, a collection of atmospheric and evocative songs that owe as much to the American masters of writing as they do to Dylan and Van Zandt.” Jon
Old Earth – Small Hours
“Strange, ominous and dream-like, Old Earth’s Small Hours is quite unlike anything else released this year. Traditional folk music serves as the bedrock on which Umhoefer does his experimentation, dipping his toes into rock, punk psych and drone in the process. If you are a fan of lo-fi folk music (e.g. Phil Elvrum) or even of drone/ambient stuff such as Grouper, then I suggest that you quickly get familiar with Small Hours.” Liam
Chrome Sparks – Sparks
“Equal parts complex, fidgety rhythms, stoned synthesizers and retro video game melodies, Jeremy Malvin’s Sparks EP is a crash course in the Chrome Sparks sound. 2013 has been a good year for Malvin, with appearances on the UK festival circuit, Carson Daly’s Last Call and a Nokia Lumia advert, and he’s definitely a producer to watch out for in 2014.” Matt
Deco Child – Skinless
“Deco Child’s Skinless was a release of thrilling juxtaposition; transcending everything from minimal piano to full blown rave. At times gentle and fragile, others bombastic and striking, Skinless contains more ideas in four brief tracks than most artists can conjure in a full length album. The variation within this EP make it seriously rewarding upon repeated listening” Will