Yesterday saw our annual albums post, which means today is our EP showcase. Each of us has picked one particular EP that stood out to us, here they are:
Robyn + Röyksopp – Do It Again
“I don’t like clubs. When I was 18 I went to Zoo Bar in Leicester Square and a complete stranger told me I was ‘killing the mood’. But if I could be converted to sweating it out with a bunch of strangers on a dancefloor, it might be by the likes of Robyn and Röyksopp on their deceptively massive EP, Do It Again. Röyksopp’s contribution is carnal, dynamic and richly textured, while Robyn brings her signature melancholy, dressed in a ‘don’t give a fuck’ bright pop sheen. I don’t think I could ask for much more.” Dave
Adult Mom – Sometimes Bad Happens [Full Review]
“It has been a vintage year for bedroom artists, with some of my favourite releases coming from the small tape labels. Adult Mom’s Sometimes Bad Happens is one I found myself returning to, an EP that tackles big ingrained problems like depression and male attitudes towards women in grounded, relatable songs. By refusing to be just happy or sad or angry, Adult Mom paints complex characters that are a little bit of everything, a messy tangle that looks a lot like life.” Jon
Talons’ – Lost Summer [Full Review]
“How can you not love an EP that begins with the line “I wanted to change the world, but I ended up doing nothing all day”? Folk music but not as we know it, Talons’ replace bar brawls and heartache with the vague sense of sadness at the core of contemporary society. Perhaps, a hundred years from now, Smithsonian Folkways will hold the mp3s locked in a vault somewhere, an illustration of the millennial angst felt by a generation at the turn of the twenty-first century. People of the future will ask their grandparents about iPhones and Breaking Bad and this business with the planes.” Liam
Timecop1983 – Waves
“There is a glut of 80s-retro-synthwave-nostalgia music around at the moment, and not all of it is good. By definition, this kind of stuff tends towards the derivative and generic. So I thought I’d give some credit to Timecop1983’s Waves EP. It’s a collection of five inventive and catchy synthwave tracks, that manages to escape from simply being a genre piece. It’s not too serious, but is extremely well put together, and the most fun I’ve had listening to anything this year.” Matt
Jon Hopkins – Asleep Versions
“The scope of Jon Hopkins delivery continues to impress me. With Immunity, he produced one of 2013’s most impressively textured and considered releases. His eye for detail made it essential that you immersed yourself in the album to really appreciate every little nuance and affectation. With Asleep Versions, Jon Hopkins goes back to basics, revisiting four of Immunity’s highlights and dismantling and reimagining them. It’s the King Creosote version of Immunity that truly captivates me. It’s utterly heartbreaking.” Will