Leeds newcomers The Pengillys release their debut single Ode VIII this week through newly founded independent label ‘Good Foot Records’. This band mix both live instruments and processed beats from the laptop to adapt a chilled out yet complex sound. The project and songs are the musings of 20-year-old Ric Hollingberry. Ric has previously collaborated with artists such as Corinne Bailey-Rae and is currently part of Emmy the Great’s backing band.
Ode VIII is a chilled out experimental piece of music which starts out with a promising up beat classical come contemporary riff, mixing both strings with an electronically processed sound. The vocals – both male and female – outline a degree of emotion and pain that transcends the music. The real focal point of the song is summed up when the vocals begin to harmonise, leading you to imagine a picture of a broken relationship in which both sides decide it’s time to call it an end.
It should be said that Ode VIII gives the listener very little to go on and hardly leaves you compelled to want to listen to the song again. Yet, this project shows signs of experimental talent along with promising vocals that you could find intriguing in the long run. It’s how I imagine the Gorillaz would sound had Damon Albarn never tasted the mainstream success of Blur.
