Equals – “Equals EP”

“Think Radiohead meets Zombi meets Boards of Canada meets Do Make Say Think. Really just think Equals. Keep your eye on these guys. – Sean Pritchard”

Sean Pritchard

7.5
out of 10

Equals
Equals EP
August 30, 2011
Unsigned

Equals begins with a jolting and powerful crash. I forgot I was listening to Weatherbox’s The Cosmic Drama before going to bed last night and my stereo was much louder then my roommates would probably prefer. Nonetheless, I was suddenly wide awake and curious as to where this San Marcos, Texas based five-piece’s debut EP would take me.

Equals is comprised of five friends that met throughout high school. The bands formation follows that of many young groups; Friends with diverse musical backgrounds grow apart from their respective bands while realizing they share both musical talent and the desire to create a more textured and complex sound. The band wrote, rehearsed, and performed throughout Central Texas for over a year before settling down at home to fine tune the five songs that make up the EP. Recorded at various studios, living rooms and bedrooms with the help of Alex Bhore (producer/engineer & drummer for This Will Destroy You) and Alan Douches (Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens) the self titled EP is an ambitious and innovative take on instrumental rock.

“False Light” builds upon itself like a new relationship. Emotive and eager to develop into a perfect harmonious balance, the track grows and culminates with Cinemechanica-esque guitar work before breaking down to a satisfied and almost delicate closing. The following tracks follow in the path of “False Light” but each carries a clearly individual feel. It’s clear Equals draws influence from some of the more well known names in ambient/progressive crowd like Mogwai, Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky and even Battles but their real talent stands out with their utilization of programmed beats and effects overlaid by fluid and rhythmic instrumentation.

If anything, this EP gives the listener only a mere glimpse of what these guys are capable of. Equals clocks in at right around twenty minutes, but nearly as soon as the album concluded I was just really figuring their music out. Think Radiohead meets Zombi meets Boards of Canada meets Do Make Say Think. Really just think Equals. Keep your eye on these guys.