No results found

Waterperry web banner fxs4dz
Culture, Music

Review

EOB: Earth

divider
EOB Earth

Following the announcement of Radiohead’s break in February this year, guitarist Ed O’Brien releases his debut as EOB. And it’s a masterpiece.

I was expecting the iconic sound of Radiohead: guitars which weep with melancholy chords and riffs which put them on the map. I was forecasting an extension of the band, an attempt to sail on a boat long parked at the harbour. But from the moment I clicked on first official single ‘Shangri-La’, rather than a boat navigating through waves, I found myself in for a refreshing swim in an exotic new sound.

It is familiar in an adventurous and renewing way, which fans of alternative rock will become enamoured by while simultaneously surprised. It manages to seamlessly intertwine Latino beats and movements into the comforting thrum of the guitar. Just when you expect the rhythm to become repetitive, O’Brien integrates hitchlessly a beat, just different enough to keep you hooked, wanting to follow the story of the song.

There is a certain chaotic cohesion to Earth. The tracks are all distinctive and tell their own tales, yet seem to slot together into an unexpected puzzle. Every song seems carefully perfected by O’Brien, and it sounds as though he has poured his heart into every second. The slower songs are beautiful, although they can disrupt the flow of the overall upbeat and optimistic narrative.

Highlights include ‘Olympik’ and ‘Banksters’; they blend different genres and you can almost visualise colours as you’re transported somewhere rich and vibrant.

The album (released 17 April on Capitol Records) has left me with the distinct impression that EOB will be a force to be reckoned with, and I look forward to more masterpieces.

RECOMMENDED

Junaid Mubeen   Author Photo qhjttp
Fri 20 Sep 2024

With the advent of ChatGPT and generative AI, the question of how humans retain our creative edge feels more pertinent than ever. Esther Lafferty talks to Oxford-Harvard mathematician Junaid Mubeen, a Countdown Champion, TED speaker and author.

STORNOWAY PRESS PHOTOCREDIT ALEX LAKE 001 p4sfoa
Mon 1 Jul 2024

Dr Brian Briggs – “Brian is fine” – divides his time between Llanelli’s Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Wetland Centre, where he is senior reserve warden, and his ‘other

nik kershaw
Fri 31 May 2024

Nik Kershaw’s debut album Human Racing came out in 1984 and saw him dominating the singles chart with tracks including Wouldn’t It Be Good, I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Dancing Girls. Swiftly followed by The Riddle, Nik spent 62 weeks in the charts and was one of the musicians to play Live Aid in July 1985.

Nell Mescal pwj9ug
Fri 31 May 2024

For the uninitiated, Nell Mescal (yes, sister of actor Paul) is an Irish singer-songwriter who hit the festival circuit hard last summer, playing (amongst others) The Great Escape, BST Hyde Park, Boardmasters and Live at Leeds. This year, she’s headed to Oxfordshire and Alex James’ Big Feastival for August bank holiday weekend. Eloise Lonsdale caught up with her to find out more about her musical style and her recently launched EP, Can I Miss it For a Minute.