EP#5 from South Ambulance and there’s a sea change occurring. The melodies are still in abundance but this time they come fitted with a more pervasive sense of melancholy. If you peruse the lyric sheet from our past encounters there’s no mistaking that despite their hook filled tunes South Ambulance certainly have a skewed view of the world. You could miss it though as so often the words are masked by a jangling gaiety. EP#5 sees the gloom spread its tentacles and while the tunes are as pristine as ever you may find less occasion to grab your partner by the hand. The download bundle also includes two jaunty tracks called ‘Circling With Thee’ and ‘Rabid Ghost’ which up to this point were unreleased. Their spiralling choruses are worth the price of the EP alone. We adore South Ambulance, we really do. The hope is that you will too.
Rather than convolute with their thoughts on EP#5 South Ambulance decided that this quote from Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘A Descent Into The Maelstrom’ would suffice.
Our first slide into the abyss itself, from the belt of foam above, had carried us to a great distance down the slope; but our farther descent was by no means proportionate. Round and round we swept – not with any uniform movement – but in dizzying swings and jerks, that sent us sometimes only a few hundred yards – sometimes nearly the complete circuit of the whirl. Our progress downward, at each revolution, was slow, but very perceptible.
Press
…bouncing bass line, softly delineated harmonies, catchy-as-hell melody and spiraling, gorgeous closing moments…
…I liked South Ambulance in their Labrador days, but I think they are even better in 2009…
…love how this gloomy almost sea-shanty builds while maintaining that 6 beat clang…
Elsewhere
Pasta Primavera, Tenacious Timothy, 5acts, Eldur Og Is, Soundsxp, Indie-mp3, Bleek Spook, Das Klienicum, Swear I’m Not Paul, Indiependent Music