Sunday 7 May 2017

Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada


I'm a big fan of Godspeed and I have a lot of time for them, which is lucky because it often takes a lot of time to listen to them - a lot of their albums are long. That's why this EP is such an interesting release - it's the Godspeed album you listen to when you don't have two hours to spare. At 27 minutes long - one 10-minute song and the other 17-minutes, it's certainly not a normal EP either, but that's kind of the charm.

I got into Godspeed in an odd order, but this was my third purchase, swiftly followed by Yanqui U.X.O.. It's probably most similar to the debut in a lot of way - the songs don't mess around so much and it fits onto a single LP. Moya has a slow build up (and a very enjoyable one - it has a very full sound from the start) but quickly begins rushing and reaches an excellent break - it's everything you want from a Godspeed song. BBF3, which plays at 33prm rather than 45, features a very memorable rant either side of these guitars and violins that seem to take turns in building up to another huge peak (and just for good luck, there's another huge crescendo at the very end, where the drums get to shine alongside the violins).

If you were trying to get into the band, I'd say this could be a strong starting point - it certainly displays everything the band are known for, but at their most concise. It's a very rewarding half-an-hour.

Format: 12", picture sleeve, insert
Tracks: 2
Cost: £7 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 07/09/13
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no