Dec 02 2008
Revolver - Revolver EP
Revolver
Revolver EP
Astralwerks; 2008
New acts (and their record labels) are always looking for an “edge,” something that sets them apart from comparable bands that’s employed to give people something to talk about alongside simply listening to the music. Think of it as a hook that they cast out to reel in music critics and fans alike – once you’re on that barb, it’s hard to extract yourself. And if Revolver has anything to complement their smart and peppy, yet sparse, brand of folk music, it’s that this Parisian trio has a somewhat fascinating story with which to catch your attention. As the tale goes, their principal vocalist is a classically trained tenor who had allegedly never listened to pop music until the age of 18, when he was approached by the other two gentlemen, in hopes of enlisting him into their band to sing and play cello.
Whether or not one can verify such a tale is a task for others: I’m here to report that the group’s debut EP is a tasty amalgam of hipster-approved ‘60s influences that would make Fleet Foxes proud. While the music itself is friendly folk fare (the band claims Elliot Smith as a songwriting influence), the vocal intricacies call for comparisons to The Beach Boys and The Beatles (that band’s seminal album provided this band its name), and their chamber-pop tendencies bring up the name Belle & Sebastian. Admittedly, while such blatant name-dropping can be both annoying and a recipe for the band failing to live up to expectations, these three youngsters do seem to have the musical and vocal chops to make some headway into the music biz. Hopefully, the idealism represented in the band’s story can carry them through as they start touring heavily and begin recording a follow-up to this five-song, sixteen-minute EP.
