Just as ‘Calaveras’ release from last year was my early Christmas present, so happy I was to hear I get to get another one from the same band this year! ‘Christmas 86’ (nomen omen) is a 5 track EP from Upcdownc, released not even half a year after their recent full album. The technical, boring details are: 5 tracks, 3 of them brand new, one live and the title track being an old friend from ‘Calaveras’.
The thing is, I would really love to find out what and whereabouts in the world happened during the title Christmas in 1986! I have to say that during reviewing ‘Calaveras‘ and cracking the Mexican death skull under-theme, that particular song, with this particular title, just didn’t really follow the whole thing. I guess the EP is the answer. And even though the band’s sound is still as distinctive, there’s something different about this release’s tone.
Call me crazy, but with this title in mind, I can really hear nostalgia. The guitar melodies just take me back a few years, creating an imaginary memory of some really good family times (imaginary is the key word here). Opening title track introduces the spacious, melancholic, high pitched melodies that start to paint the post-rock picture of the good old 80s. Apart from the band’s signature unique electronic guitar sound, we’ve got some cymbals and some bells… ‘Scott Jason Smith’ (sounds like a tribute to a fellow Kent born comic artist, also a child of the 80’s) follows the theme. ‘The Gun’, a teeny piece of music (a whole 00:21) is an intermission, reminding us of the soundtracks to spaghetti westerns. The jingling bells in ‘Omni Rock’ add this unbeatable 80’s kitsch factor, but they are placed and blended in so precisely that it simply makes perfect sense. ‘Dad Rock (live)’ obviously sounds a bit rough compared to the recorded and produced rest of the EP, but then again – we have a Dad joining the scene and the Christmas family picture is complete.
‘Christmas 86’ is then a yet another really well thought of release. Upcdownc’s sound is already known for it’s freshness thanks to how they use their guitars. This time around we’ve got some rather unique instrumental additions that help to paint the 80s nostalgic, winter musical landscape. After all you don’t get jingle bells in post rock every day do you?
Released March 26 2012 through iTunes
Posted by Magda Wrzeszcz
