Gravity’s latest release is a split between Jacob’s Stories and Metronome, featuring three new tracks from each band. In very brief terms, Jacob’s Stories sound like Radiohead influenced by any one of a million Deep Elm bands – careful and considered with distinctive vocals, while Metronome are far more original, yet equally as intricate. Whimsical almost. I’m a big fan of split EPs and this comes in a lovely green/brown packaged case, which adds to the specialness of it all.
Jacob’s Stories kick things off, a band that I forst came across after I was sent their split with Good Morning Captain! for review. That record was very, very impressive – and while the band build on those highlights here, I think the tracks tend to draw themselves out a little too much for my liking. ‘A Ghost Amongst Us’ is a lovely, lovely song, but the expected crescendo just never seems to arrive. The build-up is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but the Thom Yorke-isms in the vocals just don’t quite take off as much as I believe they could. Al Paxton is the one man mission behind Metronome and the three songs here are all performed, written and recorded by the man himself. The lack of vocals on ‘Yukari and Mika’ is almost haunting, although when they do kick in during ‘From My Skylight’ they add so much extra to the song.
This split is pretty good – albeit not really my thing. Neither band produces a bad song here and I suspect if you are a fan of either of them you will love this record. Certainly two talents, it will be interesting to see how well they both fare over the course of an album.
Gravity DIP
Paul