The first thing that strikes you about this three-song demo is the impressive breadth of song-writing prowess on display. The collection is a well-rounded affair with various identities and moods held together within what appears to be a mature and consistent Superkings ‘sound’.
Superkings clearly hold great store on storytelling, with each vignette a journey into to the darker recesses of the human condition. The jaunty, up-beat, throwaway catchiness of The Good Sense is juxtaposed with the epic, world-weary grandeur of All Things Considered and the ennui-soaked melody of On The Broads. Indeed, it is the stirring depth of the latter two that lingers longest.
This collection is dappled in both light and shade, displaying a lyrical complexity and musical accomplishment that sets Superkings apart from the current crop of new artists. This current ‘stand out’ quality, together with the fact that all these tracks would be warmly embraced by a more mainstream audience might well provide Superkings with that important edge.
If you simply enjoy proper songs, clever, thought-provoking lyrics, and interesting arrangements, then Superkings are certainly an outfit worth keeping an eye on. The expert mood-setting, subtle musical contrasts and ability to allow songs to live and breathe reveal Superkings as a class act and suggests they’re well worth catching live.
