Withnail - Let me Finish EP

Withnail - Let me Finish EP
Withnail. Know of them? No? Nor did I, but, by the end of this you’ll want to…

Receiving their 5 track acoustic EP: “Let me Finish”, this ..Stoke-on-Trent.. threesome opens up a new wave of sound available on our very own doorstep.

“TV with the Sound Off” is a fantastic opener and a firm favourite off the EP. It echoes the familiar, with similar sounding riffs to what would be found on Incubus’s Morning View album, and would fit perfectly on XFM’s radio playlist. This track in particular could be easily sub-genred into 90’s sounding rock, like those fine British and American alternative tunes, which are still cherished today (e.g. Smashing Pumpkins). Lyrics: “I’ll be obliged to please tomorrow” and “Everything is beautiful” hits on the key points of what they’re evidently trying to achieve: a scenic and gratifying sound. Listen more closely, and you’ll hear the brilliance that lies within the words; a consistent element throughout the EP, and yes they’re abstract, and yes you can say that about a lot of bands and their songs, but they open your mind and just seem to be heavenly placed, (a rare talent for a band to possess who’ve been established for less than a year.)

From discovering the band from my previous work with Hollywood Tease, I was expecting something similar, and sorry to be clichéd (but who cares?), I was surprised, and I was blown away. Their standard is high and their instrumentals which fuse with explosions of words are infectious.

“The Lust of a Misanthrope” allows them to show off more of their alternative aura, they’re not raw, and boisterous and in your face, they’re somewhere in the middle of gentle rock, but are still able to make their own mark and statements. For this reason, there’s no doubt that they’re a great live band and that you could absorb their talent, whether an electric set or acoustic. There’s an identifiable place for them in the industry, whilst still being quite distinguishable to our local scene. Their upsurges of guitar to vocals are reminiscent of the Manic’s “....Australia....”, whilst some of the riffs are as worldly as Biffy Clyro’s “Questions and Answers”. These effects allow you to get lifted into a musical crescendo in the midst of an epic journey.

“For Him” holds a more dark aspect, full of angst and waves of emotion, more definitive guitar ending and even the mention of a “peroxide tangerine tan” for an artful motion, which leads nicely into “Mark Collett”. This brings out the best in northern vocals; as airy as that of the Happy Mondays/The Stone Roses in the early 1990’s. Speaking of “fascist fantasies” and wishing: “If only I wasn’t so allergic to progression”, it’s unclear whether this refers to their music beliefs or ways of life, but their prog rock rocks.

The finale: “Let me Finish” has an intro, hauntingly like the King of Leon’s “Arizona”, with the potential of being every ounce as good, what with it’s lulling tones and loving sentiments which reels from the acoustic notes, to the lyrical genius of singer Richy and it’s richness in intricacy. “Fingers caress” and “hands overlook” help to picture the singer working his magic on the mic stand, making the whole thing come alive. Even the pronunciation of “droplets” makes the track gentile and picturesque.

Thought provoking and different, they are one to see live to capture their feel and to see a whole band contribution, even though their acoustic EP is highly compelling. They describe themselves as alt rock and that’s probably the closest thing to it. It all works, and you just want to hear and see more of the finished article. They’ll put their own mark on the local music map (as seen by the quoted envelope the EP arrived in), as they’re definitely unique, and hopefully that’ll be their key to success to taking it further. So be part of it, see them live or request your 5 track EP today.