Timing is everything in music right? Well, Monday night, Radio X’s shining light John Kennedy played ‘Formulate A Plan’ by Leeds outfit Engine. As the flying ants swarmed and humans melted in the unrelenting heat, this single came floating by like the breeze we’ve all been desperate for.
Weather aside, this is a remarkable feat for a debut single. Some artists take three albums to carve out this sort of identity. Producer Dom Freeman has got the heart of James Yorkston’s ‘Woozy With Cider’ here and thus, allowed the bands scattergun nodes of psyche to really shine throughout.
Vocally, it provides many of the great dialectics alternative music can provide. Singer James Elson sounds a polished performer but, there is still a hint of fragility which makes you wonder, might this sun drenched dream drift away at some point? It’s something that Bobby Gillespie and Martin Courtney (Real Estate) have done better than most in recent times and now Elson can begin to dream of adding himself to that list.
Check out more from the band on their Soundcloud page: