Dunfermline/Edinburgh based band; ‘People, Places, Maps’ are a new 6 piece pop/folk/rock group who formed earlier this year and present their first ever self-titled recorded EP.
Olivier Kapo III has the potential to be a good song but the production quality on this track does not seem as clear as the rest. In certain sections the instruments seem overlapping yet despite this, it can be said there are strong vocals throughout. If the instruments were given more time to stand out then it would work better for the band and make for easier listening. Further on in the song, things seem to transfer to this method and it makes the song seem much clearer and more enjoyable.
Sarah’s Song is an acoustic track and is one of the strongest songs on the EP, if not the best. This song showcases the strong Scottish accent, alike Twin Atlantic’s style. The song has powerful lyrics which will allow fans to relate to extremely easily and provides easy-listening. The additional surprise in the song with the female singing works extremely well and her voice is very powerful for this style of music. The two harmonise well together and is a welcomed addition to the song.
Splinter overall is a catchy song, the band make good use of their instruments and with a longer instrumental section, allows the band to show their musical talents. The only flaw in showing this is that yet again the instruments in sections seem to be drowning out the vocals. The chorus is extremely catchy and this song would definitely work well live.
Plans is another catchy track on the album. It is the most versatile and is the one that would appeal to a much wider audience, as well as Hotel Room, than the rest of the tracks. The song also allows instruments ‘time to breathe’ throughout the track and can be envisaged live easily.
Ego (originally by The Saturdays) offers an unexpected, extremely different choice as a cover song for this style of band. By choosing a song such as this and performing it as an acoustic, it was a brave choice from the band. Overall the song does in fact suit the lead singers voice well and can be imagined it would work well as a live song. For a change, it is nice to see another band that are not adapting their voice to suit the ‘usual’ sound which for most artists is becoming too manufactured.
Overall the album is a good showcase of the bands talent for producing a variety of songs and none of which sound remotely similar to the next. The strongest point of the EP I would say is definitely the lead singers raw vocals, as this brings something different to the album and as mentioned previously brings the ‘Twin Atlantic Scottish feel’ to People, Places, Maps. Despite a few moments in the EP that aren’t as clear as the rest, the EP provides a good listen and is worth a try if your a fan of the Scottish vocals style.
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