Masters In France - Inhale
- Sep 30, 2011
Acquiring attention and support from the big ‘uns in radio is an enviable achievement at the best of times, but it is even more of an impressive feat if you only have a few tunes to your name.
Masters In France reside in this notable camp and having turned heads with just a string of songs, they certainly look set to conquer the airwaves with their debut EP ‘Inhale’.
Having been partly recorded by the band themselves at Ferlas Studios in their native North Wales and lined up to be released via their own outlet Bone Dry Records, it is incredibly encouraging to see that this is a group willing to put in the hard work.
Whilst we are still not inundated with a shedload of tracks, there are five fantastic head-boppers on offer. Previously released single ‘Mad Hatter’ is a punchy little number. Kicking off proceedings, it powers through dance-punk and grunge phases, possessing enough swagger to rival the likes of Friendly Fires.
Follow-up ‘Orbitoclast’ sees the quintet slow their sound down slightly and take the pitch down a few notches. With the music taking a backseat, the smooth song predominantly focuses on Ed Ellis Jones’ sultry and slick baritone, which works effortlessly against the sullen synth and staggered drum beats.
‘Greyhounds’ does indeed showcase another side to the band, with the track adopting an indie-rock approach. The vocals are significantly higher, highlighting Jones’ impressive range, whilst the backing beats remain bouncy and the riffs melodic.
As danceable and radio-friendly as ‘A.I. (Artificial Inches)’ is, it is rather reminiscent of Kasabian and treads a path a little bit too worn. It is by all means worth a spin, but it does not show MIF at their genre-pushing finest.
Fortunately, contagiously catchy closer ‘Little Girl’ follows this minor bump in the road and all is quickly forgotten. Ending the record on a high, we are left with a succulent slab of quirky indie pop, which is both uplifting and boogie-worthy.
With this stellar debut effort under their belts, these Welshmen are well on their way to the road to success.
8/10
@kayayeteeee
Image (c) Michelle Roberts http://www.sheshoots.co.uk/ from Masters In France Facebook
