INOUWEE - EP REVIEW


Inouwee - Dark And White 
Inouwee - Dark And White EP

Release Date: 10th June 2013

Inouwee are a Danish boy-girl electro-pop duo coming at you straight outta Copenhagen with a six track EP. There's a lot about that sentence that makes me quite excited about the potential of the music and each of these tracks has its merits but there's nothing that really jumps down your throat and grabs you by any of your organs - vital or otherwise. It's almost as though the Eurovision people put out a CD of the six best tunes from the final and that in itself is a very Marmite sentence. For instance, lead track 'Essence' has a semi-urgency that Robyn or t.A.T.u. would comfortably feature in one of their songs but whilst it promises to build and explode, it never really delivers on that promise. 'Liquids Playing Misty Games' a more alternative edge, with nods to Florence + The Machine and jangly guitars plucked throughout but the synths aren't big enough, the drums are too tinny and the bass is smothered.

The vocal half of the duo, Signe Marike, has a solid voice but it never really feels like she lets go and gives you both barrels which you feel would give some of these songs a richer, more soulful sound. On 'Empty Bodies' there is a definite 80s feel but this is no Roxette, despite the uber-retro synth sounds between chorus and verse. 'The Crazy Inside Me' is the kind of song Kelly Clarkson would reject for her album despite its Emo-lite overtones and angsty lyrics. The penultimate track, 'My Closet In Your Heart', shows some signs of life and originality in the arrangement but you get the feeling that this is supposed to be the quiet, calm track compared to the rest and the change in tempo or volume just isn't distinct enough to make a difference. The orchestral openings of final track 'Devil Noise' are tempting and the drums finally feel like they're kicking in on this closing track but again it feels over produced, clean and soulless. If these guys were a more traditional band then I would do what I always do and suggest they get out on the road and gig as much as possible to find their true sound and learn their trade a bit better but I'm never sure how you do that as a more studio based electronic duo. The bottom line is that this is great background music for a film soundtrack but it's nothing I would ever sneakily Shazam in the cinema.


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