A Chicago two-piece on the verge of their first UK tour – which takes in gigs with Spectral Nights favourites Mimas, Dad Rocks!, Olympians, Waking Aida and a show at Manchester’s A Carefully Planned Festival – Space Blood are an exciting and intriguing prospect. Armed with only a bass guitar, drums and a Roland Handsonic, they create music which is magnetic and alluring.
Their debut EP ‘There Will Be…’ has already been released via Medium Gallery in the States and will be available here via Little League Records in the winter. If you just can’t wait (and we think you won’t be able to…), you can ‘name your price’ for it via Bandcamp (http://spaceblood.bandcamp.com/) now. Opening with the surprisingly gentle but no-less spine-chilling intro of ‘Domestic Time Traveler’, it’s like the duo are trying to recreate that feeling you had watching Eerie Indiana as a kid – although with a touch more menace. As the song builds in tempo, it begins to recall Battles with a number of joyfully disjointed layers and loops. ‘Veteran Huffer’ heads even further into the peculiar, having a shade of Three Trapped Tigers grappling with ‘Bugman’-era Blur as it culminates in boisterous noisenik fashion. It’s experimental and intelligent but always retains a sense of fun.
The poppiest Space Blood get is on the finely structured piece of math rock that is ‘Fingers Only Meat Banquet’. Sure to delight fans of Vessels or Youthmovies, it’s an infectious song full of wonder and it’s been expertly crafted… The speed-up and subsequent breakdown is exquisitely drawn for just two people. The final track on the EP lasts over seven minutes and finds Space Blood in a proggier, more post-rock territory. Head-noddingly pleasing, it’s a great chance for William Covert from the band to showcase his drumming skills and to demonstrate their willingness to push boundaries.
Judging by this EP, the live show is one not to be missed. You can catch Space Blood on the following dates:
16 October – The Lexington, London
w/ Mimas / Dad Rocks! / Olympians
18 October – The Shed, Leicester
w/ Alright the Captain / Bear Makes Ninja / Pedro Don Key
19 October – A Carefully Planned Festival #4 at The Castle, Manchester
20 October – The Hope, Brighton
w/ Waking Aida / Poles Apart / Oh Captain
Filed under: EP review, New music, Preview Tagged: alternative music, Dad Rocks!, indie music, math rock, math rock music, music, music review, new music, Olympians, pop music, post rock, post rock music, Space Blood, There will be..., Waking Aida