Info: Last week Dublin pair We Cut Corners released their fourth studio album, Impostors, a much anticipated LP on the back of very well received singles such as 'Laughing Maniacally', 'Original Sin' and 'The Specialist' to name a few.
A gentle and delicate croon beckons us invitingly into Impostors with its opening 1 minute passage. Am I going to enjoy this album? The question is immediately answered with the sweet indie-folk charm of 'Rainy Night in Slomo', a little dash of nordic-sounding pop reminiscent of Kings of Convenience which eventually torpedoes itself into a rhythmic rattle of guitars, percussion and inflamed vocal harmonies, whoosh, what a start.
'Original Sin' sits in a half-way house between Muse and Villagers on its louder and softer moments respectively (and if you want to venture to more obscure places, Dublin 90's indie band Pelvis). Once again there is a most pleasing feeling derived from the unique vocal of guitarist John Duignan and the duos ability to lift the listener to euphoric spaces. One of many expertly crafted and massively enjoyable indie-rock moments on the album.
We Cut Corners - 'Original Sin'
Another such moment arrives via 'The Specialist', there's so so much to love about this single, it is filled on the one side with hope, optimism, gratitude, and on the other side, somehow, an inescapable feeling of sadness, fear of loss and an emotional wrench. When it comes to simplicity, We Cut Corners have an admirable knack for tying everything neatly together in a cohesive unit which ultimately delivers high enjoyment. The joy the listener feels by the end of the track could not be achieved by another vocalist in my opinion, the energy and passion comes from a place of authenticity.
Jacks of all guitar trades, on 'Eke' the band hark back to a swinging old school country-blues flavour, a duet between Buddy Holly and Muddy Waters put through an indie blender. Another fetching rock-solid single is 'Laughing Maniacally', which will probably prove to be the most loved by fans, and it's the little things too you know, like that short but memorable 5-second passage from 1:30. I mentioned in a previous review how the draw here for me is how their sound has a bone fide Irish 90's rock DNA, a peak period, I think of Future Kings of Spain and Turn.
The dreamy flow of 'Once in the Woods' pulls the listener off to an entirely different part of their imagination, a folk charm ensues with appropriately subtle strings adding to the overall sense of calm. Closing with the third instalment of what could crudely be described as interludes, 'iiimpostors' has a gorgeously melancholic demeanour, it's a bare and isolated conclusion, and this shoe fits perfectly onto the end of the collection of songs.
I love Impostors, it's as simple as that, it is coherent as a body of songs, but also allows you to pull down the window, pause, and have a look around at the little spaces We Cut Corners create across the album. The singles, and indeed other tracks, are incredibly well written, as I mentioned earlier, yes there is a simplicity in parts, but the simpler something is, the more bland it may become, here it is the opposite by a country mile. It feels like Impostors is the moment us much-maligned fans of indie-rock have been waiting a long time for, thanks to We Cut Corners, our patience has been rewarded in spades.
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Website: http://wecutcorners.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wecutcorners
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wecutcorners
