Following up well received April single ‘Swan’, Emperor The Stag are back with their first EP – five songs of solid indie rock demonstrating that they are a band who have really found their sound.

The distinct, low register vocal of Nick Webb sits comfortably over a backdrop of guitar and rhythm section that calls to mind noughties indie tropes.

The watchword for the EP is production, with every strum, tap and lyric captured clearly and allowing the listener to fully appreciate each track without distracting fuzz, overbearing reverb or other distracting stylistic choices. This is simple but effective work that lets the music speak for itself.

As for the songs themselves, ironically titled opener ‘Farewells’ collates interesting, unusual rhythms into a short running time, while longer sprawling tracks ‘Red Admiral’s Daughter’ and ‘White Car Never Comes’ are more meditative and straightforward foot tapping respectively. Middle track ‘LEAD’ also stands out for a simple acoustic guitar line that anchors a spaced out sonic landscape – reminiscent of early Coldplay (you know, before it stopped being cool to think they were good).

There’s a lot here that demonstrates that Emperor The Stag will be around for a while yet, with plenty more for the band to discover about their own direction as they work on an upcoming full length. There’s a lot of potential here, and we’re looking forward to seeing what comes next.