I get some really strong Fiery Furnaces' vibes emanating from Hecuba's debut EP SIR and its six tracks. It's got a lot of creative juice flowing through it, and just like a Furnaces' album, you never know which direction it's going to take until it zings you with a sharp right turn.

The EP opens with the title track (hear it below) which is a darkly dub induced chant that attempts to mesmerize you with its hazy ceremonial current. Just to throw you off kilter, the very next track is a semi-reprise of the lead off song titled Hey Sir, this time punctuated with a train whistle. Weird stuff. Track three, Tom & Jerry, picks back up the dark dub groove and speeds it up a bit, giving it a techno/electro feel that you could dance to. YES goes even deeper into the electronic inorganic range which slowly transforms itself into an electro/hip-hop beat which then fades into solitary notes. Track five, Ch-Changes (not to be confused with the David Bowie song) is slow, almost spoken word, over a quite 50's piano doo-wop melody. It's really a trip hearing an oldies style song made quite contemporary. The EP wraps up with a remix of the title track, this time spun with a dance floor spin to it.

All in all, there is a lot going on here that's really interesting. As alluded to before, Hecuba really likes to push the envelope here. It's already looking forward to hearing their first full length album. In the meantime, enjoy Sir below.








The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes the Summer : EP