<p><span><span><span>- Es is a London-based quartet whose dystopian synth-punk paints gloomy day-in-the-life scenes with a palette of propulsive bass, plodding synth melodies, crashing drums and reverb soaked yells. Their debut album <em>Less Of Everything </em>is released this week on London DIY-stable <em><strong>Upset! The Rhythm</strong></em>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>With most everyone likely to have <em>Less Of Everything </em>in light of the present global economic collapse and, for the London-based band, the impending threat of a no-deal Brexit, the titular aphorism is an overwhelmingly apt forecast of life in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. While not quite predicting crises of such scale, Es’s music is undoubtedly attuned to the pronounced austerities and deceptions of the present day. Much like the <strong>Sisters Of Mercy</strong> when they penned the atom-bomb fearing <em>Black Planet</em>, Es’s music departs from a sense of global anxiety and is grounded in personal experiences through their apocalyptically anthemic songs.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The very catchy first-track <em>Chemical</em>, from which the album title is taken, bursts with energy despite repeated moans of “<em>feeling so tired”</em>. Muscular bass and thumping drums drive through a haze of whirring <strong>Delia Derbyshire</strong>-like lead synth. It’s a densely melodic and gesticular introduction to the sound of Es and they tear through another eight numbers in similar fashion, eventually gaining the confidence that, once the thump of a bass line starts up, it won’t stop for long.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>At times, the unflinching emotional realism in the lyrics feels like a limitation within the deep growl of the doomy, sci-fi soundscapes. They aren’t wildly imaginative, mostly referring to the first-person as a self-observing voice of reason in the face of an undefined anxiety. Perhaps it’s the challenge of keeping up with the energy of the music, when all members are firing on all cylinders it’s hard to think about much else. Pensive tracks, however, like <em>Severed</em> and <em>Hidden Track </em>seem to offer ample opportunity for a more memorable vocal that isn’t indulged.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><em>Less Of Everything</em> is fatalistic in the way a punk record should be - it’s certain what’s coming is going to be heavy and melodic, but Es have a distinctive and interesting enough sound to ride it out to the end without losing that initial appeal. Some numbers, like <em>Severed</em> and <em>Unsavoury </em>almost merge into one as they carry through not just momentum but melody as well. If you don’t like the rhythmic whirl of Es from the outset there’s not a lot that might convert you. That there isn’t an attempt at an accessible single or funk crossover is in its favour as a distinct, near exhaustive body of work.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>- Jaden Gallagher.</span></span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1112099932/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="http://esband.bandcamp.com/album/less-of-everything">Less of Everything by Es</a></iframe>
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