Guile - Serendipity / Yesterday's Karma EP Review

Guile
Serendipity / Yesterday's Karma
EP Review

Poor mastering on your EP is not the worst of crimes admittedly, but Guile should make sure their material in future doesn't suffer from sounding timid next to the hot-mastered masterpieces of their more commercial contemporaries. Music like this should be given the punch it deserves.

Coming on like a modern day Jesus and Mary Chain (especially in terms of vocal delivery), Guile attempt to win us over with their brooding, American-influenced, dark guitar pop. Elements of the rock'n'roll of Primal Scream attempt to penetrate the sound, notably on opener Serendipity. Yesterday's Karma finds them taking the tempo down a little, with an acoustic-tinged ballad that builds to a climax of guitars.

It's debateable whether Guile have enough going for them to propel them into the glare of the mainstream spotlight. It depends on whether you have heard it all before, and if you have, whether you want to hear it all again.

Richard Edge