San Blas – Draw, Win, or Lose EP
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| San Blas - Draw, Win or Lose EP |
Release Date: Out Now
The debut EP from North Londoners
San Blas, ‘Draw, Win or Lose’, has six tracks which just gets in under my
‘isn’t this just a short album’ limit but its pushing its luck a bit.
Nevertheless, as pioneers of Ukulele indie-rock they’re in unchartered
territory so all bets off. Things get going without any hanging around as
‘Morgan’ blasts in a flurry of furiously strummed short strings being tethered
only by the loose, 90s grunge-pop drums and you know you’re in for a lively
time. ‘Yellow Grey’ starts like someone in the Live Lounge doing a stripped-down
cover of a pop smash but as things build you realise that the soft vocals are
growing in confidence and by the drums and strums start to build you feel the
swell of a storm like a slightly less self-involved Mumford & Sons.
On ‘Drive’ there’s an end of the
night vibe with tinges of sadness and regret but again the band employ that
slow build to create a sing-a-long anthem that gives you the feeling that tomorrow
is a new day, a better day. ‘Kiss from Argentina’ is up next and, as a former
single, it stands proud with a mischievous glint in the eye and I can’t help
but hear hints of the Wonder Stuff and the Levellers in here but with a less
English feel as those frantic Uke strings do battle with a roaring drum kit in
full flow. Another former single, ‘Zaid’, has a bigger, more indie-rock sound
which puts these guys front and centre in the mid-afternoon slot of a sun-drenched
festival flanked by the likes of Tankus the Henge and Felix Hagan & the
Family in terms of energy and unique sounds.
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| San Blas |
The EP closes out on ‘Reckless’
which is probably my favourite of the six for a number of reasons. There’s the
lilt of the Ukulele riff that is part Hip-Hop and part Hawaiian beach vibe,
there’s the loose beat that is pure Gorillaz fun and then there’s the fact this
feels the most complete as a track – like Jack Johnson and G Love jamming to an
attentive audience of happy souls during a sundowner session. I fully expect these
guys to be hibernating right now, preserving their energies for a summer of
festivals and, if they’ve any sense, gigging and busking along some sunny
coastline. For purely selfish reasons, I hope they choose the South Cornwall
coastline. Hinty McHint-Face.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/sanblasmusic/?ref=br_rs
Live Dates:
6th December – Christmas Wallopa-TWO-za!,
Chelmsford
16th December – Proud Camden, London
7th February – The Old Blue Last, London