Think it is time to do a review blind. Time to see if I can guess where a band is from (and coming from) without benefit of introduction, previous experience or press release. It didn’t take long to work out that Blue Sky Archives were from Glasgow. They sound buoyant in that very slightly offbeat way that bands from that part of the world do and I’d also guess that they’ve got some Fleet Foxes CDs in their record collection.
Anyway, enough of the frivolity and on to the songs. I have to say that “Crash Your Face” was an appealing song with the female vocalist (Lauren Mayberry-Ed) making a plaintive case for taking this song to your heart as the words and music wash over you. Rather more up-tempo was “Sleeves Rolled Up, The Team Rolls”. Sounding initially like conventional indie rock from the nice part of town, the joy was in the detail with this one as marching drum patterns and a charmingly simple synth riff gave life to the song. “The Highest of Fives” was the darkest and also the best song here showing commendable care in its construction to support the emotion in the performance.
A very respectable EP then from Blues Sky Archives and, whilst they are perhaps a bit too similar to their contemporaries at the moment, I hope they persevere with their music.
Available from Bandcamp.