Moreish Idols – ‘Lock Eyes and Collide’ EP review
Falmouth to London export Moreish Idols‘ sophomore EP, Lock Eyes and Collide, the follow-up to their debut extended play, Float, takes the blueprint of the previous release and runs off into the sunset, laying the foundations for what is shaping up to be a fruitful future.
Oozing variety, musical nouse and clear vision, the band exhibits polarity across its brief 17 minutes, from freak-out bursts of acid jazz to introspective analyses of everyday life, but it all gels seamlessly. Ultimately, Lock Eyes and Collide is a multifaceted record that captures the technicolour postmodernism of the present. It’s fresh, yet there are nods to familiar places, creating enough intrigue to catch anyone’s imagination.
Moreish Idols is made up of co-frontmen and guitarists Jude Lilley and Tom Wilson Kellet, bassist Caspar Swindells, saxophonist Dylan Humphreys, and drummer Solomon Lamey. Each brings something unique to the fold, offering thrill whilst never overshadowing the others. Their harmony is one of the group’s greatest triumphs, and together, they work as a unit to conjure their distinctive sound.
Lock Eyes and Collide kicks off with ‘Nocturnal Creatures’. The track starts with a dissonant keyboard burst, similar to something you might encounter in an Adam Curtis movie, denoting the kind of sensory adventure in store. This is then counterbalanced as the quintet bursts through the mix as one. Whether it be the contagious beat, the warmth of the bass, the riff, or the chorus, there’s plenty to engage and keep you coming back for more. The chorus vocal melody is exquisite; Kellet and Lilley make a fine pairing.
The guitar lines and rhythm on ‘Between These Ears’ aren’t far from something on the storied C86 compilation, with it beginning as the record’s mellowest moment, as Kellet presents a candid portrait of what may or may not be his life. Not ones for complacency, in the final third, a din arises, where the sax and guitars let rip. However, they’re quickly restrained and forced back into the enclosure as the piece returns to the calm spirit that kicks it off.
‘Green Light’, meanwhile, has the potential to be a genuine hit with enormous crossover appeal. After the dream-like palette of the introduction, it hooks its quarry. Ballasted by the shimmer of the drums, Lilley repeatedly sings, “waiting for that green light”, as a telephone-esque effect supplements his voice. Keeping us entirely focused, the velvety funk of the bassline and syllabic riff add weight to the vocals before another eclectic burst of noise tears through the equilibrium. The change of pace around 2:38 is also an astute decision that keeps this heady sensory experience moving.
Props have to go to drummer Solomon Lamey. His performance is pure class, with dexterity shining through as clear as day. While we’re here, the dalliance with the wah pedal is also a welcome surprise. Was this written in London or California? Perhaps it was a mental space somewhere in between, with the group’s cherished ‘Falifornia’ springing to mind.
Bringing the curtain down is ‘Chum’. Blending krautrock with the contemporary taste for jazz, it boasts its own potent riff. Frenetic and direct at the outset, the tension gives way to a composed pace, where Lilley takes the floor as Kellet concentrates on the guitar. A masterclass in using space to their advantage, the extremities and pulp of popular music are fused as it bounces between insanity and restraint, such is the sound of Moreish Idols.
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