Spring King, initially the side project of producer Tarek Musa, (who single-handedly released a demo of ten tracks entitled All This Murk and Dirt earlier this year), has enlisted the fellow Salford-based Peter Darlington, James Green and Andrew Morton for the release of five-track EP Demons, set to be released on 8th September. The band, who have played a slew of metropolitan festivals earlier this spring as well as a slot at Latitude, have received accolades from numerous publications including Line of Best Fit endorsing their surf-rock melodies.
The music of Spring King is certain to cultivate summertime vibes despite the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpses of sunlight in the North, with catchy riffs and choruses that undoubtedly will be enthusiastically replicated in a live setting. For an EP titled Demons, the tracks read in a surprisingly uplifting approach in which Musa sings about his subjects in a ‘take it as it is’ manner that brings a joviality to heartbreak, proclaiming on initial track ‘Can I’, ‘on to the next one’ with a unexpected lack of bitterness towards what could only be billed as a modern take on love, disappointment and moving on.
This lack of sentiment within Spring King’s selection of self-proclaimed ‘love songs’ allow the band to get away with this self-styling. Musa’s matter-of-fact method that encapsulates his lyrics ensures that any twentysomething would be hard pressed not to find something relatable (‘in the morning I’m going home’ he proclaims in ‘Can I’, with an inflection of both mourning as well as the slightly possibility he might be similarly high-fiving a mate – in any case, it simply is what it is).
Balanced alongside the lack of artificial romance, there is real heartfelt sentiment in the paunchy chants of Demons, where Musa’s reputation for creating and recording tracks all in one day, based on the inspirations of his current emotive state, shines through. The songs capture a feeling that remains both brought to life as well as just barely within reach, and both the band and the listener engage in an almost child-like fantasy reminiscent of following the sun from sunrise to sundown when there’s absolutely no other responsibilities.
Demons strength also lies in the cohesion of the band as a whole. Attempts at garage rock can often be aptly accused of sacrificing structure for unfiltered noise. However, the band’s utilization of unanticipated and often brilliant instrumental solos, as well as a forward moving and almost heartbeat-like undertone throughout the EP, give it a feeling of a careening amusement park ride, which strikes the difficult balance of being both a delight the listener in both its highs and lows, while maintaining just the right amount of control.
The high energy of Spring King, fused with their refreshingly eccentric edge, is certain to assure an exhilarating live show (and a good excuse to travel south is their EP launch gig at Electrowerkz in London on the 22nd September) and is proof of how the band continue to polish their unique sound.
Spring King play Night & Day Café on September 25th.
Words by Ruby Hoffman (@RubyBHoffman).
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