Borrowing largely from progressive emo/hardcore bands, the debut mini-album (six tracks pulling in at just over half an hour) from Plymouth based This Calamity verges on needing a new sub-genre to label – the sweeping atmospherics provided by the spacious guitar and drum sounds hint at a an almost “prog singer-songwriter” style. In essence, being heralded as the creator of a new genre could be the pinnacle of a band’s career, but when said band consists of more than one person, the singer-songwriter accolade points precariously at simplicity.
Frustratingly, ‘I’ll Paint You a Picture If You Promise To Put it Up’ hovers at the boundaries of originality but fails to completely crack the mould. Moments that veer into experimental progression are unceremoniously pulled back by commercial sequences and, paradoxically, both this grievance and the release’s captivating aspects are enhanced by the band’s use of crescendo. Where This Calamity get it right, the simplicity of the sound is overwhelmed by orchestral beauty and the existence of the additional band members is abundantly obvious, but the quartet seems reluctant to let the atmosphere flow, and continue to hold back on a sound that not only strives, but needs to be, enormous throughout the release.
Opener ‘I’ll Paint You a Picture’ sets the tone of the record, containing dual vocal and minimalist song structures that generate a bleak undertone. The subsequent tracks deviate slightly from the formula, verging closer to generic singer-songwriter territory, and highlights on the album find themselves located in the latter half of the record; particularly ‘In Need of an Exit Strategy’ and ‘Broken Lips’, that provide the strongest evidence of the band’s progressive inclinations.
‘I’ll Paint You a Picture If You Promise to Put It Up’ could have been truly spectacular, but a persistent desire not to stray too far from the path leaves it falling a little short. Because of this, a respectful portion of the album will entice the listener back on the odd occasion, but the commercial sounding solo-guitars and the unnecessary meandering that form interludes between various tracks render the release a little frustrating. Currently, This Calamity stand on the verge of something extraordinary, and the next release will be one with plenty of potential to be amazing.
BEN TIPPLE