Nottingham Synth-led outfit Express Office Portico have just arrived with their debut EP 'Incommunicado'. It is a slick, shimmering 5-track collection that announces them to the Indie world. Last year saw the quintet play their first headline tour, playing at venues in Manchester, London, Leicester, and finishing at Nottingham’s renowned Bodega, headlining there for the very first time. Now, with this EP, they are aiming even higher in 2024.
The first thing that strikes you on the EP is the lucid, dream-like grooves that often drive forward an entrancing rhythm with the bass line before adding bright synth textures to add a dreamy feel. Opening track 'No One' probably showcases this the best, creating a hypnotic instrumental soundscape that lures you into their sonic world and allows you to melt into the electro tones while taking in the beautiful vocal blend.
'He Said She Said' is a highlight on the EP, sparking an upbeat energy that will get you moving and adding their trademark silky veneer of synths and playful guitar lines. 'Are You Yourself' also highlights their talents well as it closes the EP with a drama and cinematic sound that contains blissful vocal harmonies that overlap and intertwine wonderfully smoothly. The spaced out atmospherics create a rich and immersive sound while the percussion really takes over, providing the rhythmic interest that prevents the track stagnating. The emotion of the vocals grows and grows resulting in a poignant ending to close the EP in style.
A brilliantly stylised EP with subtle melodies and immersive synth soundscapes.
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