Volcanoes - Badchild Farsight

Badchild Farsight is a new EP from Yorkshire band, Volcanoes. It’s a record that’s getting lots of positive reviews. I usually hate to go with the crowd but, on the face of it, I will have to go along with it like Shaun the Sheep- bahhh!

Volcanoes are still unsigned despite their popularity around Leeds and Sheffield, however, they don’t sound like an unsigned band, oh no. Volcanoes have all of the instrumental skill, lyrical creativity and musical identity to make them, what I see as a ‘proper’ band.

I believe, ‘Talking Shadows’ is the high point of the EP as it displays each of Volcanoes’ talents. The classic guitar intro lets us know that what’s coming will most likely please us and then the vocal greeting confirms that. This is how I want the whole EP to sound but Volcanoes seem to lose their way a little on other parts of the EP. On the other hand, we have to remember Badchild Farsight is an EP (extended play) and due to this, it’s an experimental recording of ideas Volcanoes have. Talking Shadows incorporates harmonies reminiscent of Mystery Jets and you can’t go wrong there.

Despite the experimental nature of the EP, pretty much everything on Badchild Farsight sounds grrrrreat. ‘I think I know stuff reading the news’ has the chirpiness of The Holloways but also sounds like The Paddingtons, maybe as their lead singer is also from Yorkshire and these are favourable bands to be likened to. I mean, The Paddingtons’ guitarist, Josh Hubbard used to date Agyness Dean, didn’t he?

As I mentioned before, in ‘I think I know stuff reading the news’, Volcanoes don’t sound like an unsigned band, they sound like they’ve been in the limelight, on TOTP and Jools Holland and in NME for years. They have a very experienced and confident aura.

When I questioned the consistency of Badchild Farsight before, I was alluding to the track, ‘Monkey Gossip Cross Tesseract’. It’s not that it’s a bad song, in fact it’s very good but it doesn’t seem to fit with Volcanoes’ identity. It sounds like an electro-punk band, such as Test Icicles. Now, I’m a huge fan of Test Icicles but you wouldn’t catch them playing ‘Whatever’, by Oasis, would you?

‘Harlequins’ is another dark-sounding song but more of what I’d expect to hear from this band. It has engaging guitar riffs and some delightfully harmonious vocals. Guitars and vocals go together like eggs and bacon, everyone knows that and I think that when Volcanoes put these two ingredients together, they can’t go wrong. Volcanoes already sound like seasoned pros. Let’s hope they get that record deal and the media attention their potential warrants.