The title of REVERE's previous white label acoustic EP 'As The Radars Sleep' may be an allusion to the strategy the band have adopted to establishing a name for themselves. To date they have opted to shun the critical glare of industry eyes but have nonetheless built a reputation and devoted fanbase that rewarded the low-key approach earlier this year with a sell-out gig at London's Barfly.
The “softly, softly” methodology now carries over to their latest opus, the 'Chloroform' EP. The band have sent out only one track to review from the 4-track EP: a decision that might suggest fragile egos, an unwavering and steely self-belief or could smack of intractable arrogance, depending on how you choose to construe such actions.
Luckily the track itself, ‘Find A Safe Place’, does much to dispel any negative viewpoints. It’s an orchestrated piece of alt-chamber rock that packs an intense and emotional velvet-wrapped punch without ever lapsing into laboured and overwrought sentiment. The song is beautifully arranged and played and has an elusive quality, the listener never quite sure where they will be taken next as the melodies unfurl. The singer Stephen Ellis has great vocal range and possesses a mournful but not depressing voice, combining the bruised drama of Marc Almond with the lilting dourness of Thom Yorke; I’m also catching glimpses of ex-Strangelove singer, Patrick Duff. His expressive singing style contains the unusual apposition of longing introspection and torch-like exuberance.
The music itself is a rich cornucopia of influential artists and styles, given fresh breath and a new lease of life courtesy of the octet of players, some of whom augment the standard rock framework with violin, cello and trumpet. A significant factor in my appreciation is the fact that the string arrangements are integral to the song’s character and not just another instance of the overused cliché of plastering violins over the song just to give the track a depth and resonance it patently lacks or an epic quality to hide the meagre offerings at its core. Here, the orchestration adds richness and reveals detail in the music but also suffuses ‘Find A Safe Place’ with a warm flowing rhythm, guiding and coaxing the listener to the song’s heart.
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I can hear scores to silent movies, folk, Radiohead, Kate Bush, Jeff Buckley, Calexico, all blending and merging into an intriguing sound completely out-of-step with current trends. Technically the craftsmanship is near flawless, conjoining these varied influences into a singular and seamless work of art that never feels engineered or over-elaborate and which succeeds both in inviting critical admiration and in drawing emotional involvement.
Despite only proffering one slender piece of musical evidence REVERE could be a band to cherish and keep close to your heart.
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