Parenthesis Dot Dot Dot—The Exquisite Corpse

I have my daughter to thank for introducing me to this artist. I'd made a mental note to dig a little deeper, and lo and behold, I discovered they'd recently released an EP. So, a perfect opportunity to find out a little more.

Opening with "One of the Lost Boys", you can't help but smile as memories of the 80s and 90s come flooding back. Well, you can't if you're old enough, which unfortunately I am! Much of that is down to the sweeping synth that introduces the track, immediately setting the scene. Now, this might be a slightly contentious comparison, but vocally they remind me to some degree as a combination of Jilted John and Frank Sidebottom. Or perhaps it's more his real-life counterpart, Chris Sievey, and I say that with the utmost affection. There's a wonderfully whimsical quality to the vocals, which often lean towards a more spoken delivery, particularly during the verses. It gives the track a slightly eccentric charm that makes it all the more endearing.

"The A.R.T." is the track my daughter originally sent me. Admittedly, it was an Instagram Reel, but even the 20 or 30 seconds featured were enough to leave me wanting to hear more. Once again, there's a healthy dose of nostalgia, particularly with the appearance of what sounds very much like a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell. The track shares some of the characteristics of the opener, but has an identity very much of its own. It's also something of a musical education, introducing us to the names of some great artists along the way. I particularly love the way they manage to squeeze their own name into the proceedings at the very end. A nice touch!

"Running Out of Champagne" brings a slightly different flavour to proceedings. There are still echoes of the 80s, but the influences feel noticeably different here. On first listen, it comes across as something of a departure from the preceding tracks. That's certainly no bad thing, although I did find the transition a little jarring initially. Perhaps that's to be expected to some degree on an EP where each track is given the opportunity to explore a slightly different musical direction. It's an interesting change of pace and helps prevent things from becoming too predictable.

And once again, we head off in a slightly different direction with "The Properties of Vintage Lace". It's an intriguing track, and one that immediately caught my attention. On first listen, I was reminded a little of Ultravox and Visage, with its more atmospheric synth-driven sound. It's noticeably slower and more restrained than the earlier tracks, allowing the arrangement and vocals a little more room to breathe. It provides a lovely contrast to what's gone before, and I have to say it's probably my favourite track on the EP, even if the lyrics are a little on the kitschy side. There's something about its atmosphere that really appeals to me.

The EP closes with "The A.R.T. (The Mmmovements Remix)", the title pretty much explaining what we're getting. It's a curious addition. Personally, I think the previous track would have made a rather nice closing statement, but I can understand the thinking behind including the remix at the end, almost as a bonus track. As for the remix itself, it has a very different feel to the original, which is, after all, very much the point. It takes the familiar elements and gives them a fresh perspective, providing an interesting alternative way to experience the track.

This has been a very welcome discovery. As an EP, it works particularly well as an introduction to the artist's sound and vision. There's a lovely mix of nostalgia, eccentricity, humour and musical exploration, with enough variation between the tracks to keep things interesting. More importantly, there's a distinctive personality running through the release, something that makes it feel like more than just a collection of songs.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing an album, where hopefully some of these ideas and musical directions can be explored further. If this EP is anything to go by, there's plenty here to look forward to.