There is a time when every band feels the need to strip things back to basics and infuse their songs with the acoustic vibe. Some then come crashing down as they attempt to jump the fence of simplicity and some gamely follow their chosen path towards success.
So do our Dutch friends Labasheeda succeed with their stylistic about turn to stripped down acoustic intimacy? They get off to an awkward start with an uncomfortable cover of “Listen The Snow Is Falling” but they are soon back in more comfortable territory with the fragile reinvention of “Black Blood” showing both poise and subtlety. Whilst they never sound like the Labasheeda of old – and I suppose that is the point of this vinyl exercise – these five songs do highlight something that was perhaps not obvious even to those of you who are familiar with this band and that is Saskia van der Giessen’s voice. Previously her voice just fitted into the sound of the band but, on this EP, there is nothing to distract you from her words and how she presents them. That very presentation, almost childlike in its emotional innocence, turns these songs unexpectedly into something of a soundtrack to some as yet unwritten urban fairytale.
So, back to the original question. Have the acoustic Labasheeda succeeded? I’d say they have made the grade.