Self released (label)
16 May 2018 (released)
11 May 2018
The Cable Street Collective provide breezy pragmatism on the delightful EP Where Now From Here.
Across five tracks, the band keep their sound, bright, warm, and just right for a day in the sun.
The collective has opted to forgo live drums in favour of the electronic, as well as infusing some African sound into the mix. It’s a concoction that doesn’t immediately spring to mind, but it’s one that works a treat.
The lead-off track, ‘So We Go’ sets the template for the EP whilst bringing the musical melange together. Sample drums set a busy pace, what sounds like a djembe drum taps out a quiet pitter patter, and the base brings a carefree veneer. The sound forms a bright backdrop for a perturbed protagonist who seems overwhelmed by the big city and the fast pace of life.
Elsewhere, ‘Wonderland’ burps and pops into life and ‘Anyway’ utilizes a soft build up, but they stick to the friendly, summer listening aesthetic of the record. The light compositions also serve as a neat counterpoint to pragmatically intelligent lyrics.
A sweet voiced Fiona Jane finds herself vexed with, life, death, and romance.
The fatalistic ‘Wonderland’ sees the relationship resigned to failure before the fairy-tale has even begun.
‘Anyway’ calls it a hard-fought draw as it ponders the inevitable final whistle in the game of life, while, ‘Nobody Smokes Anymore’ takes a wistfully sardonic jab at attempting to struggle through life, before eventually conceding “but through the Burns I’m still sad when it’s over and done.”
As if to emphasize that the life experience is a difficult one to master. the penultimate song's musical interlude cheekily stops just short of breaking into the Mission Impossible theme.
The six piece’s Twitter account categorises them as “Music that makes you want to dance your arse off.” In that regard Where Now From Here succeeds effortlessly.
