EP: “Poepular” by Another Poe

“Another Poe” are a new deep thinking London band who formed when Eddie and Fred found a common love for music in high school. A few years later; Eddie met Alex at one of those university parties with the quartet being completed a year later with the man with the large biceps, drummer Leo. The foursome were buzzing with inspiration and had a whole bunch of inspirations to draw from.

The lyrical side drew from philosophers like Schopenhauer, Kirkergaard, Plato, Socrates and from romantic/expressionist painters, as well as writers like Whitman and London Social entrepreneurship. Musically the guitar melodies of John Frusciante/Josh Klinghoffer. They also collectively love the texture that a piano can create, and borrow structures and progressions from the likes of Radiohead, Eric Satie, Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Dot Hacker, as well as taking further influences from the golden Trip-Hop era.

The question is, do we take these guys seriously with such a multitude of miss-matched influences or dismiss them as just another band trying to gain our affection? They have just released the debut two track single titled “Poepular” which is a nod to writer Edgar Allen Poe and a reaction to a comment by a charismatic waiter in a restaurant. The band describe it themselves as a journey into “alternative experimental progressive rock”.

The first track “Themes in G Minor” as described by the seemingly well-educated band is “An introspection into one’s epiphany”, where the conscious is challenged by its human nature”. Big words indeed but in layman’s terms, the tune is a vast array of atmospheric sounds and textures combining piano with guitars to great effect, a sort of Pink Floyd meets Radiohead in a University Library. Eddie’s vocals against the backdrop of Alex’s considerable electric guitar skill work well together along with the spot on unshakeable rhythm section.

Track two is “Fandango” and in their considerable words “Fandango is an inspiring dance for all those people that are stuck in their materialistic and consumptionist existence (verses); but still sometimes can grasp the true meaning of life through love (the chorus), as love is what can drastically shatter their assumptions and make them feel insane”. These guys have clearly swallowed a dictionary and are again trying to confuse the uneducated like me. So in my own limited dialect; the tune is quite different from the last with a rockier feel to it, reminding me a little of Kasabian’s newer material. A host of distorted basslines coupled with some beautifully executed melodic electric guitar.

With just these two tracks “Another Poe” show plenty of creative potential, and the ability to carve a completely new fresh sound. They pull inspiration from their education and some very diverse personal experiences. I look forward to see if they can pull off this big sound on a live stage somewhere in the near future.

Track Listing
Themes in G Minor
Fandango