Demos

{Satellite-State} - Demo-E.P

Dan Round 16/02/2007

Rating: 3/5

{Satellite-State} have won the attention of people including Mick Mercer and Huw Stevens, as well as the NME, with their brand of sweeping, melodic, and intelligent pop. This E.P. of high quality demo recordings is the first showing of the new band's labours.

Starting off, “Get On” is a charming, Snow Patrol-esque power pop song, with chiming harmonics. Gary Nicks' dominant vocals and simple “come on” hookline makes for pleasant listening, and as guitarist, Ciaran Stephens's final, breezy harmonics fade out you realise this band are worthy attention grabbers. Track 2, “Letting Go”, starts in the same vein with repetitive harmonics, but develops with sensitive strumming and downbeat vocals from Nicks. The song however, isn't as interesting or instant as “Get On”, and rather than creating the emotive energy it attempts, it seems to plod on without really travelling anywhere new.

Nevertheless, the final “Carry Your Own Weight” does pick up and restore hope in the band. With an acoustic into and coda, and a powerful, clear vocal, the song is affirming and at times affecting with the lyrics questioning the “trust in love” of a fractured relationship. The subtle backing instrumentation, too, provides the song with the atmosphere it needed. A real problem {Satellite-State} have is that here, on their first E.P., they come across as slightly samey and repetitive. Although on their own the songs, noticeably “Get On” and “Carry Your Own Weight”, would hold up against the competition, packaged alongside each other the songs loose interest and raise questions on how far the band can get creatively with the same formula.

On this E.P, {Satellite-State} are good; the songs are moving and emotive, the lyrics are powerful at times, and Nicks, in particular, stands out as a great songwriter and vocalist. Whether they can last the length of an entire albums worth of material is yet to be seen, but for now they have produced a solid set of taster tracks.