Spires – Spires EP

By Dusty Ray
Spires’ latest EP release is a brief but enjoyable slice of wistful indie tunes. The songs all ring with a certain uncertainty, carrying the listener on a veritable carousel of melancholic repetition, through ups and downs that have originality in their presentation.
Most of the EP comes off as slightly contrived – hijacked sounds of the Pixies, The Cranberries, Modest Mouse, and (God help us) Coldplay reveal themselves throughout. There is a sense of appealing to an “in” crowd with Spires songs – you most likely need an anachronistic moustache or black-rimmed glasses to fully understand their music.
“Predatory” opens the EP and sets the bar high for the rest of the album, traversing through a driving post-punk/new wave rhythm, dueling guitars and an airy mood which shows up on the next tracks “Calm July” and “Blue Occupation.” The tone of Spires’ music is quite concrete, and they make up for this with unexpected guitar solos and distorted breakdowns.
Closing with “The Chicago Outfit,” the EP settles on a lighter, happier note, though you might not realize this with the tortured and depressed vocal delivery. The whole song could be a soundtrack for an aspiring-though-frustrated film students project; in fact, the entire EP has a soundtrack quality to it.
As a whole, Spires’ EP lacks something, though this could be caused by the succinct length of the cut. Spires gives the listener something to look forward to on a full-length release without revealing all of the tricks up their sleeves. Hipsters rejoice; this one is definitely for you.
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