aaamusic | On 03, Oct 2011

Taking a rapid turn from the usual gash I have to listen to, Masters in France add to my buoyant Sunday mood (Chelsea just thumped Bolton) with some alternative rock.  Taking elements from Arctic Monkeys third LP Humbug, Masters in France incorporate a nice mixture of guitar heavy indie to form a short but sweet EP.

Opening up with the mellow Little Girl, the bass filled number stays at one pace throughout denying you of the anticipated climatic crescendo.  The slow pace suits the song though and it allows Masters in France to showcase their undoubted musical ability, in fact it’s probably the best work on the E.P.  That’s not to say the other songs are disappointing in anyway, Mad Hatter is a bouncier number that becomes addictive during its three and a half minute runtime.  It doesn’t have the same level of craft as Little Girl but it’s about as instant as a song gets.  1 play and you’ll love it.

The rule of thumb with EP’s is that you get one absolutely dire, unbelievably horrific track.  Now Orbitoclast isn’t that bad, but it’s not that good either.  The vocalist goes a little bit mental with the high notes on this one and it makes the overall listening experience slightly creepier than you’d expect.  The chorus is poor as well, the pace doesn’t suit it and by the end you’re left as disappointed as a Liberal Democrat after an election.

With the exclusion of Orbitoclast the EP is a nice body of work coming from a band recently endorsed by 6 Music.  A full length LP from Masters in France will be a true examination of the band but until that gets released this EP could be the start of something special for the band.

 

Author: Tom Crowther