The Envy Corps - Story Problem EP (Mercury)
4/5
By: Gareth Roberts
Potentially the next big thing to emerge from the States in a sort of Modest Mouse / Bright Eyes / Belle & Sebastian mould, The Envy Corps are certainly putting forward a convincing case with the 'Story Problem EP'.
Opener and title track 'Story Problem' emits a jaunty red-neck quality, the vocal not too far removed from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's nasally style. Handclaps and la la la singalongs are the order of the day, overall making a lovely song that leaves you wanting more, which as sure as day follows night comes in the form of 'Sylvia (the Beekeeper)', a dreamy, if somewhat disjointed romp whose melody fluctuates between the sublime and the ridiculous, creating a strangely appealing effect.
2 out of 2, so far so good. Yet things slow down somewhat for the third instalment, the gentle acoustic, almost Radiohead-like, 'Rooftop' providing an eventually pleasant change in tone that further cements my growing fondness of this band. The fourth and final track gets the tempo going again, as the name suggests, 'Party Dress' wraps things up in a lively concoction of riffs and Americana pop sensibilities. Although, interestingly, again the melody appears to be a touch skew-whiffed at times, either these guys are confident enough to pull it off, or they're simply out of tune... I strongly suspect it's the former.
All in all a good, solid 4 out of 4 effort, and one which leaves the future looking bright...
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