Top 5 Indie EPs of 2013
It's been a good year for EPs, they can work as a stop gap between albums or as an introduction to a new band's sound, and it can be difficult to impress or get your point across when restricted to 3 or 4 songs with little room for filler or exploration. Fortunately this year has seen a slew of great EPs released. Here's the top 5 indie* EPs of 2013. Look, listen and maybe find your new favourite indie band.
*(With the exception of one Aaron & the Sea, it may be electronic but the EP was independently released so... Tenuous link between title and content? Check. Now you know it's a real list!)
Findlay - Greasy Love
Polydor
Blazing guitars, clattering drums and dip-diving vocals that go from sweet and innocent to roars of "And how do you suffer/When it starts to get rough" easily made Greasy Love the first choice for this list. Dreamy ballad "Black Cloud Silver Lining" is hauntingly sparse in comparison to the shatteringly loud all-out rock that makes up most of the EP, but the spine-tingling vocals leave a lasting impression. Natalie Findlay knows how to yell, how to sing, and how to make a damn good EP.
Key Track: Greasy Love
- Aideen
The Delaplains - The Other You
Independent
This Mancunian five piece released two EPs this year, the excellent Gypsy Blood in March and then we were treated to The Other You in November. Jangly guitars with hints of glowing 60s California sunshine melodies make this EP stand out above the rest.
Key Track: Sheena's Always Late
- Aideen
Rose Elinor Dougall - Future Vanishes
YOU
Former Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall's last solo release was her 2010 debut album Without Why, a poppy full length with an emphasis on break-ups and infatuation. The Future Vanishes EP experiments with flourishes of synths and an even stronger vocal than Dougall had before. "Poison Ivy" is an instantly hooky track while "Strange Warnings" sounds like an eerie prelude to the world ending, it's otherworldly and slightly magical.
Key Track: Poison Ivy
- Aideen
Pelicans - Day Tours
Independent
At six tracks, this Dublin band's EP clocks in at the longest on the list. "Tumbling" is a summery track boasting a sinewy bassline and soft vocals with shades of Bombay Bicycle Club, while "Sylvie" is twinkling guitars and morose lyrics; "If I feel this way for my whole life/I'll go insane" is met with squealing guitars and sounds like some kind of gentle, thoughtful breakdown.
Key Track: Sylvie
- Aideen
Aaron & the Sea - Cloak & Dagger
Independent
"Scratchy synths, breathy but commanding vocals, coupled with echoey atmospheric effects that swaddle the music gives their sound a pulse of its own. On Cloak & Dagger Aaron & the Sea have crafted a darkly beautiful sound filled with juddering synths and brilliantly textured songs made for sombre winter evenings."
Key Track: Blac of Heart
- Aideen
Honourary mentions go to Mainland, Dear Boy, The Mighty Stef, Anna Lena & the Orchids, Bloc Party and Panama.
