The Decoy – ‘Parasites EP’ [Review]
This EP put me in two minds on the first listen under headphones. The songs were definitely great – but the sound was terrible. Waaaay too much treble. It almost gave me a migraine.
Then I tried putting it through proper speakers. It sounded sick. Then some Apple earpods. Still sick.
Basically, the Decoy (and producer Chris Coulter) showed me how shit my new Sennheiser earbuds are. Forty quid, they cost me. Forty fucking quid. Literally in the bin as I write this.
Anyway…the Decoy fill in the grey areas between Reuben and old-school Biffy Clyro while adding extra pop-friendly touches. Lines like “She’s my girl…” would fit perfectly between Justin Bieber’s lips – but in the context of second track Vultures, things go very differently. That track is undeniably complex, heavy, and brilliantly well-arranged; not even a hint of generic R’n’B tween-daydream bullshit in there. Oh, no. Thank fuck.
Third track Parasite initially brings to mind Guildfordian alt-rockers Massmatiks before things take a turn for the apocalyptic. Muttered raps give way to anthemic harmony vocals and you can tell, with no doubt, that the Decoy are not merely ones to watch, but a band to get genuinely excited about. When a band can take tangential turns while making those choices seem obvious and even natural…well…it’s just a whole other ball game.
Final track Andyouism, however, is the absolute winner. Brutal stadium-ready stomp-grooves give way to fuzzy guitars beneath a blinder of a hook. Jesus wept, man. If Sonic Boom Six went for a stoner-rock vibe, stuff like this would come out very quickly. Gradually, Andyouism grinds, sputters, and comes as close as a song can get to falling apart before Police-esque reggae rhythms come into play riiight at the end.
With painfully simple-minded pap continuing to clog the mainstream airwaves, it’s almost embarrassingly exciting to see fresh faces looking to push British music in the right direction. Secret Black Boyfriend, Signals, Press To Meco, Yearbook, Massmatiks – and now the Decoy. Things are definitely looking up…
TMMP RATING: 92%
Links
Parasites drops May 25 via Ghoulish Records.
The Decoy on Facebook and Twitter.
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