EP Review: Rings

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Kevin Spacey is the first song off of Chambres debut EP; Rings. The piece is very reminiscent of work from Chvrches first album, at least up until the vocals come in. The synth line is really catchy, though overall (and especially lyrically) the song feels underdeveloped. It is slightly too long, a bit too repetitive and feels stilted.

The next piece Smokelight feels like it would have made a much more appealing opening song for the EP. Musically, it is a bit more textured and it definitely develops more measurably. Citrus starts out with more of a soundscape feel, which is an interesting addition, and the snippy wordplay and lyrical rhythms make it my favourite piece from the recording.

Chase Me Too heralds itself as potentially the most pop-influenced song of the collection, upbeat, with a catchy chorus and sort of disjointed instrumentation that keeps the sound fresh and interesting – a little bit video game-ish. Lyrically, the line ‘foolish thoughts that we always knew, crystalised in amber’ is at once resonant and somehow comes off as a bit morbid, which is an interesting contrast. Slow Love starts a wee bit like an old school public service announcement before moving into a down tempo, easy listen that relaxes the listener before the final song. The Alpha is quite a jarring listen, the synth lines are a little bit ‘nails on a chalkboard’-ish, though the song itself is strangely hypnotic and somehow feels a lot shorter than it actually is.

Rings is very interesting and varied first collection of songs, I’m keen to hear where Chambres take their sound in the future.