Eagulls are back. The five-piece, hailing from Leeds, return with their second full length EP titled Ullages; an anagram of their name. Released on Friday 13th (like, probably, every record ever) on Partisan Records it brings with it strong 80s vibes fuelled by nicotine and teenage angst. I just expected more.
The album gets off to a slow but solid start with Heads or Tails; crawling guitar melodies layered with George Mitchells’ all too familiar moaning vocals, reminiscent of Robert Smith and Ian Browns’ love child: “It’s hard to tell who we are” he groans while heavy symbols and booming drum beats rain down like a youth dragging a stick across a metal fence, in the best possible way.
Euphoria follows with dominant bass lines continuing the steady theme of Ullages. The strings kick in, reminding us, again, of The Stone Roses (obviously), finishing with a heavily distorted warping of guitar strings, a huge contrast with the beginning of the next track.
One of the singles off the album, My Life in Rewind, is the third track and it’s a real ‘lighters in the air’ moment. It’s about as soul-destroying as a Smiths song but its muddy bass line gives me life. Imagine an 80s film montage where the protagonist stares out the window for far too long watching the rain. It’s one of those kind of songs.
Harpstrings is next, it’s just an instrumental track but it shows Eagulls’ ability to create more shoe-gaze-type music. It fades out and fades straight back in again to Velvet. A strong melody plays alongside while Mitchell moans about “the world falling apart” and badly dealt cards. It’s a decent track evocative of a punk Jaws.
Psalms… it’s not great. It would be if I hadn’t just listened to the last two tracks. By now I’m a bit bored and a lot sad. Sorry, I just want more. By the time I get to Blume I just want to start skipping tracks.
Skipping; that’s the next track and it’s a flipping tune, a gift from the heavens, a faith-restorer with a filthy bass line. It’s a dark, moody blur of screaming guitars and howling vocals: “All I ever wanted was an answer, but all I ever got was a broken record playing.” It’s more of what I expected from Eagulls and possibly one of my favourite tracks off the album.
Then comes another single: Lemontrees. And it’s a brilliant follow-up from Skipping. This is the song I look forward to hearing on their tour. Mitchells’ vocals are far more prominent and the melody is far catchier with obvious Cure influences. It’s the most praised track on the album and with good reason. Quite frankly, it’s a tune.
Hefty, marching drums kick Aisles off, next. It’s gritty and dramatic but those drums are the only thing that holds it together, without them the song would just be a mass of screeching guitars and vocals. It’s noisy and dramatic, and will ruin your eardrums. And then it just ends. It’s a weird one.
And finally White Lie Lullabies. It’s the perfect end to an awkward album with, again, very Smithsy vibes. You know when you get in bed but you’re smashed off ya nut and the rooms spinning? That’s what this sounds like. It’s repetitive and steady and just as noisy as its predecessor but sickeningly relaxing in a twisted sort of way.
The album, overall, seems confused. I think I’ll grow to like it more but it wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s certainly different from its self-titled, older sibling but it’s not unrecognisable and worth giving a chance if you’re already a fan.
-Emma Murphy
Setlisted 