REVIEW: The Slow Readers Club –  For All Here To Observe EP

9/10

THE SLOW READERS CLUB announce 'For All Here To Observe' Acoustic EP

Manchester indie-electronic favourites The Slow Readers Club have released a new acoustic EP, For All Here To Observe, this month on  September 14th via Modern Sky. The EP features tracks spanning across their entire career including songs, from their eponymous self-titled debut album to this year’s Build A Tower, in acoustic form. The EP is produced and mixed by Phil Bulleyment (Beady Eye, Dutch Uncles).

It has been released ahead of their upcoming winter tour, which will see the band play the biggest dates of their career so far. These will include London’s Scala and a hometown show at Manchester’s O2 Apollo. The band are touring in support of their new album Build A Tower, which was released in May this year and went straight into the Official UK album chart top 20 at number 18, 10 in the physical album chart, 4 in the vinyl chart, 4 in the indie album chart and number 1 in the cassette chart. The tour starts in October and climaxes in their hometown at Manchester Apollo on December 14th. The tour will be the most central shows of their careers yet and will see their flame burn ever brighter.

The EP opens with Supernatural their recent single taken from Build A Tower. It really works acoustically. Aaron Starkie’s vocal come through as strong and haunting as ever especially as he sings “I gave you everything.” Feel the emotion in that. The songs are stripped back and naked and provide a rich sound to work with. The second track, On The TV, also from their latest album, a particular favourite with fans (it got them chanting in May at the Manchester Cathedral gig) is exceptionally evocative. It proves the Readers can diversify across different genres of music. The guitars and drums are fluid and mellow.

I Saw A Ghost from Cavalcade provides a kind of country sounding guitar with almost an REM kind of feel as does Forever In Your Debt also from Cavalcade. The passion and emotion in Starkie’s vocal is particularly displayed here and on the melancholy Lunatic.

The EP finishes with Block Out The Sun taken from their debut, which has a particular resonance and depth to it. The band said of the EP, “We got a lot out of the acoustic recordings – it’s great to hear the songs stripped back to their bare bones, it’s also a good opportunity to try different things vocally and change the mood of the tracks”.

This is a band that have worked their way to recognition through sheer hard work and thoroughly deserve all the attention they can get. This is a beautifully poignant release and proves that they are a talent to be reckoned with.

FOR ALL HERE TO OBSERVE TRACKLIST

1. Supernatural (Acoustic Version)
2. On The TV (Acoustic Version)
3. I Saw A Ghost (Acoustic Version)
4. Forever In Your Debt (Acoustic Version)
5. Lunatic (Acoustic Version)
6. Block Out The Sun (Acoustic Version)

 

 

 

Xsnoize Author
Sandra Blemster 98 Articles
Sandra mainly writes about indie/rock bands and has written many features, album reviews and interviews for XS Noize. Favourite bands and albums is a long list but to name a few Horslips, REM, Love, The Doors, Let It Bee – Voice of the Beehive, Velvet Underground and Nico album. (Ozric Tentacles live), October Drift. Sandra likes yoga, reading a good book, watching films, Netflix and drinking wine.

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