By Mark Wardale
As Math Rock continues its assault on the music scene, many new bands and artists are taking off their hats and throwing them into the ring. Liverpool band Kusanagi are most certainly stating a claim as they cleverly deliver a clean & dynamic E.P They Will Come Back For You…, combining alternative, post and math rock which encompasses some quite unforgettable melodies. Put simply, it’s a bold statement that works.
If your looking for that constant big Post sound you crave from guitars, it is here, but the sound Kusanagi create is much more intricate and intelligent. A lot of thought has clearly gone into this recording, where all band members are in unity and sync with each other. Not something every band can master. There is no ‘just turn up and turn the amps as loud as they go’ feel here. What is happening here is something that has been overlooked and underground and now brought to surface by both hands.
As the opening track ‘Spires’ starts, it welcomes you to a no nonsense kind of feel. No build up’s, just straight into what transpires through-out the EP as a showing of what is on offer here. Clever chord sequences that leave you wanting again, and they do come back again. And in no way is that a bad. For me, this is a very strong and healthy start to the next 5 tracks.
What follows is a group of musicians that can produce music over a shorter period and not drag out music unnecessarily with track two ‘What Fools These Mortals'. At 2:50, its more a glimpse of what they have to offer in terms of Post Rock, which is followed up later in the EP. I must stress that even knowing this, by no means does anything feel rushed either in any way.
Mid way through the EP it becomes more diverse and interesting with ‘Rhinoceros’ and ‘Danxia’. Combining 14 minutes, showing more delight and intelligence, but included now are acoustic guitars and the band begins to bring it down a notch with some lighter melodies. A side that is new and welcomed. And what is preceded is that glimpse of Post Rock we heard earlier on, but its dynamics are ever more accomplished. A new depth has been reached at this point and it’s probably the clever combination of everything that the band has to offer that makes it the right time and the right place to showcase it too.
As we reach the fifth track, you feel like you have been reminded of were we begun in this adventure. Gripped by catchy guitar work and some more unity by the drummer and bassist in some great and important understanding, it’s very hard not to have respect for the way it has all come together. For me, 'One day, they will come back for you...' is my stand out track. It holds itself strong against everything else. It twists and turn’s, it engages with the listener as the song develops, and as it is the EP title song (something that can be very risky), it has to deliver otherwise it would be pointless. And it does deliver without any risk involved.
The final track to round things off is almost like an outro to the EP. Its neither good nor bad. For me it doesn’t serve much purpose being there from a musical point of view especially after being opened a door to a very impressive world of musicianship. Having said that, I understand the right to express yourself musically if you’re trying to convey a theme or message throughout. It’s pretty much an electronica track with a more spacey aspect to it, which is different to the other songs. What it does do is convey the message that 'They did come back for you'. It’s been put there for a reason, so take it or leave it. You won’t feel harshly done too once you hear everything else on offer.
They Will Come Back For You… is well structured and balanced and also a rare find for me. You come across new music all the time but by a ‘rare find’, I mean music that stands out and sticks around for a long time. Music I will have and keep in my library and will tell others about, and more importantly, music I am beginning to form a special relationship with.
