COVES

Words by Ben Blackburn

I first spotted Coves towards the end of last year when I was scouring through Bandcamp, scrolling through several pages of musical fodder before I came across the band’s demo, ‘Honeybee’. After then writing a brief, but excitable, post on LostLostLost, many more blogs began to follow suit and within a month Coves were no doubt receiving countless requests for more tracks. This displays both the beautiful and the potentially destructive sides of the digital revolution of music, allowing near instant accessibility, but in doing so it also builds up a level of expectation that many bands inevitably wilt under. However this was not to be the case for Coves, who mark today with the release of their debut EP , ‘Cast A Shadow’.

What first attracted me to Coves on that first fateful listen was their ability to create a sound drenched in fuzz that could still boast intimate, sultry vocals and a funky melody. This is made all the more impressive as Coves is primarily a two piece, made up of Beck Wood, who contributes lead vocals, and John Ridgard. In this dynamic Coves initial live performances were immediately hailed as a thoroughly interesting and absorbing experience, with both Wood and Ridgard able to reflect the dark, brooding nature of their music into their stage presence. With the help of Cross Key Records, the tracks are now recorded with more clarity, however the band have fantastically maintained the sound which first won them a place on my most listened playlist.

Today's tip comes courtesy of Simon Pursehouse from Sentric Music