matinee idlesThe Matinee Idles have produced a beautifully soulful and odd record that burrows its way into your mind through its sheer relentlessness. There’s very little here in the way of songs that will knock your socks off, but there is plenty to contemplate. Songwriter Kevin Barry paints startling images through his mutated trip-hop/funk soundscapes and they keep you guessing as to what direction they are going in.

He cleverly places his vocals as the focal point in unconventional sound creations that bob and weave around your head without ever presenting anything resembling a hook or guitar solo – or indeed, an excuse to rock.

If There Was…is eclectic with piano giving way to electronic beats, surging rhythms and samples. “If there was a God, I wore him out,” sings Barry and indeed, you will be worn out too. The initial beauty quickly gives way to an unsettling feeling – but such is the mesmerising wonder of this track that it sucks you in.

Fallen Angels, Stoned And Drunk is similar, the sinister vocals, shuffled drums and hurried basslines leave the listener in a constant state of confusion as to what they should be feeling before sideswiping you with When It All Comes Down, the closest thing to a proper song – but still a million miles away from anything that passes for pop/rock.

All In features sampled chanting married to synth beats and sparkling guitar before giving way to a drum motif. It’s almost as if Ian Curtis has lived on and has been collecting obscure Parliament B-sides.

The strength of this EP is that it goes beyond comparison, it sounds new and it sounds like breaking ground. It’s a joy – a slow burning and earned joy – but a joy nonetheless. Take the time to listen to this record, give it its due and reap the rewards. The album that is due to follow will be a very interesting prospect indeed.