CONTROL OF THE GOING – EP REVIEW


Control of the Going – Reflections EP (Sister 9
Control of the Going - Reflections EP
Recordings)

Release Date: 16th August 2019

Right everyone, sit up and pay attention time. This is the drill; a five-piece band from Manchester with two brothers and a retro sound. Now that might sound familiar but don’t let your preconceptions get the better of you; Control of the Going are a very different prospect. The quintets latest EP, ‘Reflections’, opens with ‘Girl of God’ and it’s the kind of track that stops you mid-sentence to make sure you catch every note. The raw production gives this an authentic feel not unlike the Watanabes sound but with an undeniable Northwest vibe and some uber-cool vocal harmonies.

The EP continues with ‘Reflection’, full of shimmering guitars and the gorgeous keys work of Minesh Mistry as the band meander down a monochrome corridor channelling the Velvet Underground and the Stone Roses in perfectly balanced symmetry. On ‘Day By Day’ the organ sounds come to the fore and give this a Charlatans meets the Animals vibe as frontman Liam Hart’s vocals weave and wend in a sultry smoke ring around your senses. The collection closes out with ‘Panophobia’ which starts out like a Motown track before the guitar slices through and then those moody vocals do their best Ian Brown (but with a more melodic tone) and bring a sense of menace to proceedings. Control of the Going do that thing of being both retro and intriguingly original at the same time which makes me instantly stick a pin in them for future reference. Not a phrase I like to use but definitely ones to watch.


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