As they near just their second birthday, it’s hard to disagree with those who have good feelings about Bristol-based noise-rockers Empty Pools. Take the recent release of their second single into the world, add the smattering of dates the band continue to play in their hometown and beyond, and then throw in the attention received from outlets such as BBC 6 Music and Drowned in Sound, and you have a very promising start to life for the fledgling outfit.
The early attention and acclaim isn’t unwarranted, of course. The band’s first single – a double A-side of ‘Safety School’ and ‘Absentees’ – would be considered a strong debut under any circumstances. On the first track of the two, each element of the band seems gel as though they’ve been together for decades, with the vocals of Leah Pritchard settling themselves in the spotlight and immediately sounding right at home there. She’s backed up well by her fellow band members, of course, and the chemistry between the band that ‘Safety School’ shows off is by no means diminished in ‘Absentees’. The two tracks do show slightly different sides to Empty Pools, however. The former is a reasonably reserved effort, happy to stay laid back and dreamy throughout, while the latter is a much more raw-sounding effort, dripping with distortion and scratch marks. Neither is inferior to the other, though, as they instead prove the capability of the Bristolian quartet to deliver with equal capability whether the end result is a chillout track or one to foot-stamp and table-drum to.
The initial single release on the band’s current label of Battle Worldwide Recordings was preceded by two self-released tracks, namely ‘Exploded View’ and ‘Vanderbilt Cup’. ‘Vanderbilt Cup’ is built upon an almost ethereal haze, with Pritchard’s voice again sounding out over backing of infectious drums and delectably fuzzed out guitar. The track is a sea of rambunctious energy that builds to an almost thrashing finale, as far as first works go, is difficult to raise many complaints about. ‘Exploded View’, meanwhile, is five and a half minutes of garage-enthused post-punk that you tune out at your peril. Between the two self-released efforts and the first official single, the initial praise the band have found aimed in their direction becomes understandable and agreeable.
The latest release from the band is their most recent single ‘Small Talks’, released once again through Battle earlier this month. The track certainly steps into the realms of garage rock, though at its core it is the same Empty Pools that 2012 delivered, one of laid back duelling between distorted and clean guitars. The chorus packs a small kick, though overall the piece is far more content to drift with the current than flail too wildly on its own. Like with ‘Safety School’, ‘Small Talks’ carries with it a more boisterous sister track, this time in the form of B-side ‘Televised’. Sounding like two parts early Placebo, one part shoegaze revival, ‘Televised’ ultimately nestles into the bosom of noise rock and stands up well against the lead track with which it’s bundled.
First impressions are everything, but second impressions are no less important. Luckily for Empty Pools, they do well when making both. To continue a metaphor that’s likely to be continued again and again for as long as the band is making its name, these particular pools are far from empty. In fact, they’re full to the brim with talent and an intriguing potential, which could most likely handle the deep end just fine.
Useful Links: Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Website
7bitarcade - Archive 