Slow Club – Suffering You, Suffering Me
SoundCloud
Complete Surrender is the third full-length effort from UK duo Slow Club, and it is quite easily their most finely tuned and accomplished production to date. Although implemented a little and built upon in places, their previously showcased brand of analog indie and folksy inflections take a backseat on Complete Surrender.
The record adopts a more soulful persona, and lo and behold it’s a style that suits the pair really well. Larger, more robust vocal presences, like the ones utilized on “Everything is New”, not only apply a wider spectrum to the already established use of melody but also sweep the listener off their feet and make a two-piece band sound significantly bigger and bolder in the process. The same goes for the bands motown-esque influences that are peppered across the LP. “Suffering You, Suffering Me” is a perfect example of how Slow Club has taken timely influences and fit them to their repertoire. With slow wind ups, sultry breaks and funky slingshot releases complete with snappy drums, strings, brass and bells, Slow Club is packing a lot into this album, both instrumentally and from a structural standpoint. Their hybrid of contemporary and vintage ideas has resulted in a truly exciting formula, but it’s not perfected by any means — there is definitely room for improvement, expansion and growth here. However it is a formula into which they have transitioned nicely, crafting some straightforward, streamlined, and most importantly, likable and fun indie pop along the way.
Complete Surrender certainly has the ability to bring Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor more commercial success, but from it’s foundations it also has the ability to see them grow into an even more reputable and rewarding outfit than they are already. If it’s the here and now that interests you and you find yourself looking for something fresh with strong hints of familiarity to sink your teeth into, then look no further than this — it’s a retrofitted tonic ripe for the last remaining weeks of summer.
