Earthquake Lights – Quarter to Midnight

Earthquake Lights reminded me of Japan’s final days as a group. If you remember the David Sylvian fronted- a group of the 1980s, you may know that they started out as “New Romantics”, but by the end of their short-lived career had moved on to integrate elements of jazz, avant-garde, and funk. 

Earthquake Lights seems to have a similar disdain for indie-pop conventions on the single “Quarter to midnight“. Even the moments when the smooth bass and piano make the tune sound like Café-chantant, are born out of a clear decision, not mere pragmatism. 

I won’t lie to you, dear readers. Some indie-rock fans will find this a bit tiresome, given that it requires a healthy dose of attention. But, those that will give it a chance, may end up living with Earthquake Lights’ sound for a while. 

HOAX – Western Medicine

HOAX sounds like a mashup video of a tender folkie playing over an indie-pop background. Or, perhaps, in other words, there’s no reason why this would not simply be labelled as “pop music” were it not for the fact that “indie” remains a term reserved, relatively speaking, to musicians seeking higher artistic ambitions. 

The instrumentation here is tasteful and the sound well produced. Soft acoustic-picking adds sweetness to the verses. A 50s styled rhythm section keeps the tune moving. Simple, jazzy guitar chords build up a chorus, centred around the ringing vocal tones.

It’s a good soul-pop tune that, if Elon Musk’s time-machine were functional, could be sold off to Mariah Carey’s 1990s representatives. As things stand, HOAX is a professional unit that’s bound to accumulate fans.