sittingthesummerout – Brick and Mortar

Winter is well and truly here, it’s time for hats and scarves to come out, Christmas adverts to come on and as fate would have it, the ideal time for sittingthesummerout to release their sophomore EP Brick and Mortar. It’s a reflection upon the summer as a season that makes some and breaks others, with […]

Winter is well and truly here, it’s time for hats and scarves to come out, Christmas adverts to come on and as fate would have it, the ideal time for sittingthesummerout to release their sophomore EP Brick and Mortar. It’s a reflection upon the summer as a season that makes some and breaks others, with vocalist Samir Batista admitting that since the act’s inception he’s cemented the fact that the sunny season just isn’t for him.

 

Disdain for the summer months sits right at the frosty heart of this release as the Italian five-piece flit between elements of pop-punk, post-hardcore and spoken word that will undoubtedly strike a chord with fans of bands like La Dispute and Touché Amoré. Lyrical honesty and a chilling sense of atmosphere seem far higher on the group’s checklist than any sonic originality, and they manage to pull both off in a well-crafted fashion. Opening track and lead single ‘Nothing Changes In Baltimore’ sees Batista’s vocals strain with frustration and exasperation over twinkling guitars, as a moody slice of post-hardcore it certainly delivers the goods.

There’s little in the way of variety, but at five tracks and fifteen minutes long the release hardly outstays its welcome. ‘Permanence’ forms the centrepiece, with Batista asking “Why would you write about me? Your words mean nothing” before erupting into furious shouts in the track’s final third. It encapsulates this release brilliantly, where gloomy reflections bleed into moments of sheer ferocity and lyrical honesty underpins it all.

 

It may be light on originality and variation, but as an ice-cold showcase of what sittingthesummerout are capable of this EP triumphs. With plenty of talent and a knack for honest storytelling already in the bag, this band’s identity won’t be far behind. In the meantime, stick Brick and Mortar on to soundtrack those chilly December evenings.

Brad Thorne

December 5, 2017

Massive nerd. Lover of music, film, books, comics and caffeine.

@Brad_Thorne

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