Posted by Andy Ryan on March 14, 2011
Melbourne’s The Ovals’ new EP Into The Eyes Of Those Who Sleep seems them come cross a bit more ‘Manchester’ than the mystical sounds of their debut EP Innerspace. They still have the swirling keyboard and big prog-rock guitar builds; opening track ‘Refugees’ in particular has a sprawling and wondrously cosmic feel to it. ‘Lost With Bones’ doubles ominous bass looming over drums, screams and a vocal reminiscent of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’ to darken the mood somewhat before the sparse and spaced-out hypnotic kraut-jam of ‘Heretic’.
The closing track of this neat four-tracker ‘Persephone’s Groove’ allows a bit of the band’s lyrical muscle to shine through, as their musings of love and the universe such as “he’s a cosmic child skipping through the cobble stones into the wild” are scantily clad in washes of keys and floating guitar and even a sinister laugh sample over six reeling minutes.
Take the trip and take a few laps when The Ovals launch Into The Eyes Of Those That Sleep at Melbourne’s Cherry Bar on Friday the 25th of March supported by Sydney shoegazers The Laurels.
The tour continues in Brisbane (X&Y Bar, April 1) and Sydney (Oxford Arts, April 8)
the ovals, the laurels, cherry bar, x&y bar, oxford arts factory