The debut EP from Edinburgh’s premier dream-pop act looks set to blow away those February blues.
Centred around the axis of John Bryden’s soaring vocals and dashing guitar lines, the band have imagination and ambition in abundance. Forget about the Trams, forget about the Eurozone crisis – Love From A Distance will transport you into a magical world for an all too brief fifteen minutes.
The band’s ethereal musings have already attracted quite a following, with sought-after support slots with the likes of Ghostpoet and The Heartbreaks, as well as a prestigious inclusion on Vic Galloway’s 2012 ‘Ones To Watch’ list.
Opening track ‘Cost Of Progress’ sees the boys hit the ground running, with some solid drums and guitar work opening out into an expansive soundscape. Elaborate synths combine delightfully with Bryden’s vocals (he produces some of the best ‘howls’ I’ve heard this side of 1985) to create a beguilingly beautiful pop number.
‘Your Head On The Floor Next Door’ is cut from a similar sonic cloth though possesses the freshness of a sea breeze. The delicate line of “will I ever understand you” poses a stark question for the listener in trying to figure out how five men could have created something so enthralling in such gloomy times.
Next up is previously released single ‘Camino de Soda’, a song that received widespread acclaim when it was unleashed late last year. Tranquil yet rousing, effortless yet enchanting – it’s the type of song most bands reach for, but few can actually grasp.
And before you know it the EP has reached the closing track of ‘Picking Holes’, which proves to be this reviewer’s personal favourite. The song has excellent shades of both light and dark, journeying from the depths of serene to epic guitar parts.
Love From A Distance is one of the most refreshing things to come out of the city in years, proving a sorbet to the legions of dull, sing by numbers monstrosities currently in vogue in so much of mainstream music. With live dates on the horizon and radio play to boot, hopefully The Machine Room will be given the chance to continue to flourish and follow up this EP with a gem of an album.
Love From A Distance is released 5th March
The Machine Room play the last ever Sick Note at Cabaret Voltaire on 16th February (£2)
They are also headlining The Wee Red Bar on 3rd March in support of the EP launch
