Do you know that scene in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory where they’re all floating along a calm chocolate river on a delightful boat when it suddenly becomes a disturbing, phantasmagorical Thorpe Park scenario? Profound Absurdities had me transported to the part of my brain where this memory lives. Packed full of psychedelic charisma and intimidating punk drama, Alex Rave And The Sceptical take us on a ride of their own, delving deep into complex thoughts and relatable musings. Here’s a rundown of the debut EP, track by track. Strap yourselves in, folks. Don’t be doing an Augustus Gloop on me now.
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Reasons
Track one welcomes us to the dark and sexy world of Profound Absurdities. It’s a gritty indie-rock song with a potent injection of fiery punk attitude. Frontman and lead vocalist Alex Rave passionately projects his angsty thoughts and feelings fearlessly upon us. Psychedelic rock instrumentation brings an ever-growing intensity to the track which eventually erupts with a shrieking electric guitar solo and chaotic drums. It’s an explosive start.
So It Goes (So I’m Told)
The dark and dramatic feel carries through into track two and kicks off with distinctive, reverb-heavy guitar and pounding drum beats. The band explain that they “wanted to create a mood that could tie all of the songs together without just following the same pattern for each”. This purposeful, creative connection between the first two tracks is notable, but So It Goes (So I’m Told) is uniquely bouncy and catchy, bringing a completely different energy to the EP.
Itch
Alex’s vocals shine through in the raw and exposed spoken word verses. It’s a fearlessly vulnerable performance sprinkled with rock ‘n’ roll instrumentation and attitude. Itch ends in lyrical desperation and a frantic flurry of sound.
No Wonder
The pace slows right down, and we sink into a Radiohead style, soothing indie-rock oblivion. Alex eagerly encourages us to “get out there and reach for the sun” reminding us that we’re all going to die in his forthright, punk rock kind of way. A stark truth, yes, but I appreciate the sentiment.
Cher Ami/Coda
The final track has a particularly eerie and ominous impact. Think Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Power Of Love meets your favourite campfire ghost story. Exposed, haunting vocals and minimal, gloomy atmospheric instrumentation draw the EP to a hypnotic close.
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So there we have it! Profound Absurdities is set for official release tomorrow, the 12th of June. I know, I know! Ok, you win. Go and listen to it right now, here!
