Saturday 9 March 2013

Demons Of Ruby Mae - Heliacal EP


Coldplay with attitude! Leicester 3-piece release their debut EP of subtle and affecting indie.

One album that's helped sustain me through the extended winter months has been the debut LP from Cumbria's Kontiki Suite. (You can read my review here.) It was released on Size Records UK, a small boutique label/collective based in Wokington, Cumbria. I like the fact they're based in Cumbria, far from the perceived musical hotspots. My guess is that being based on the outer periphery allows your musical taste to be based on quality rather than on fleeting trends. So it would seem after hearing the label's latest release, the debut EP from Leicester 3-piece Demons Of Ruby Mae. While there's nothing groundbreaking or challenging about their sound, the emphasis is on quality songwriting and musicianship, with their piano-led songs similar to those of Coldplay, Keane or Noel Gallagher at his most introspective and melancholic.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf  opens the EP with a descending piano motif before the song grows into something more strident and muscular, with strong lyrics and from-the heart vocals. You Got It Wrong's sparse instrumentation and falsetto vocal give way to a heavier chorus. Hope Is comes across as a more street tough version of Coldplay, downbeat but defiant. Volcanic Mouth is perhaps my favourite of the four songs, simultaneously haunting and anthemic.

Size Records UK operate an admirably noble policy in that the artists take 100% of any profits, so buy with confidence that it's money well spent.

Click here for Size Records UK on Bandcamp.

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