London newcomers Y have released their debut, self-titled EP. The newcomers, featuring members of Fat White Family, Meatraffle and Pregoblin, made a splash back in January with ‘Why‘. Mainly because of its free-flowing sound that couldn’t care less about genres. It still remains one of the most chaotic singles of the year, and certainly had us excited to hear more. Fortunately, Y more than meets the hype.
‘Why’ continues to sound as chaotic as ever as it opens the EP with a vivid, intense performance that sets the tone. I love how on the brink it sounds, and its frantic pace really adds to the urgency. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the ever-decreasing levels of tolerance I have at work. It leads onto ‘Marianne’, which features a little more structure as melodies and grooves are delivered against breathy vocals that seem to have something against her. All sorts of horns and guitars slip into the off-kilter rhythm to create this non-sensical beat that somehow comes together.
Things head into ‘Ladies Who’, which is probably my favourite on the EP. There’s something cool about it, with an instrumentation filled with horns that strut and drums that drive the rhythm into the ears. Sophie Coppin’s vocals lead the way with an equally assured performance, telling tales of ladies who kill and leaves you feeling like a badass too. ‘Hate’ rounds things off with an anthemic sound that’s quite cathartic and fun to sing along to. Acting like a release of all the tension that’s been building up lately.
Y is a superb EP from Y. It’s an EP that takes a second to understand, but is easy to fall into once you do. The level of variation and exploration between genres is unmatched, and it does come together as a cohesive unit of noise to unwind to. With each member part of other, established bands, I’m hoping it won’t be long before we hear from this project again, as it has delivered one of the most original, and mind-melting debuts of the year.