Tangle*

I don't know if the people who comprise the HICS are siblings, friends, live together on a commune; I just don't know. I mean honestly I didn't look that hard, but by the end of the first page of Google I just assumed they didn't wanna be found. So while their exact personas are a mystery to me (which, personally, adds to the intrigue) I can tell you these things: I can tell you they're from London, I can tell you there are 5 of them, and I can tell you they make very, very compelling music. Tangle is a 4 song EP that's so good it's free to stream on Soundcloud and I still bought it on Amazon.

Their sound is like a more R&B focused XX, so, that should be enough to get you to at least listen. If not (it really should be), let me try to describe it. There are a lot of instruments in play. I assume the varying talents of the 5 members are the source of most of the sounds, as you can hear those live instrumental touches, ie the guitar finger slide sound, that certain resonance on the sax (yes, the sax, don't worry it works), etc. Each song has an ethereal background running throughout, but the instruments in the foreground are very distinct, the two of which come together like red beans and rice. Aside from the subtle electronic drums, hand claps, and filler noises, there's definitely a standing bass, guitar, sax, drums, and potentially a piano, but the most important thing is the vocals. The instrumentals could definitely stand alone, but the 2 lead singers vocals are something to write about. There is 1 female and 1 male lead, both of which sing equal parts in harmony. She has a strong but slightly airy voice, with this Lorde-esque cuteness to it, while his is deep and powerful, with this James Blake-esque calmness to it. And the way their parts mesh you'd think they're married, I can't describe it better than that.

From a technical standpoint it's very well done. Pulling from such an interesting palate, it'd be very easy to let any instrument control the mood of the song, but good conducting and some fine mastering took these tracks to another level. As far as the words are concerned, I've come to a conclusion: either I don't understand British people's communication methods or their lyrics are written to make you question what they mean. Maybe it's art. I won't dwell on it, it doesn't matter; the words are clean and introspective, and sail right through the ocean of sounds these 5 create. My only wish is that there was more than 4 songs.

If you have about 20 minutes in your life for discovery, please listen to this EP. It's worth your while no matter what genre you're inclined to appreciate.

Rating: 9.5

Favorite Song: Lines