After a well received debut EP, Inca Gold I in February, London four piece Inca Gold have announced the second in a triptych for 2011, Inca Gold II will be released on 8th June on Color and Vision Records.
Ethereal vocals? Check? Keyboard bleeps? Swirling Psychedelia? Yep Cinematic atmosphere!? Yes sirrreee…. The equation for Inca Gold‘s wide screen soundscapes could appear in a book about ‘how to surf the zeitgeist in 2011’s all too cluttered music scene.’ But wait their formula doesn’t contain pretension of MGMT, the blandness of the xx, or the sheer annoyance of The Naked or the Famous! Inca’s modest lilting, dreamy refrains ghost their way into your brain like half remembered dreams of the past. Astride a framework of minimal yet intricate instrumentation, glowing psych rhythms and surprising oddities found in the dusty lost and found of musical history. ‘Into Hiding’ the opener to their second EP 2 is a carousel of colours and successful chorus’ its unfussy arrangements and honestly tender vocal interplay are fascinating, especially when they collide in its almost euphoric chorus.
Inca’s sound is playful too, it reminds me slightly of the new CYMBALS record or the work of Post War Years it comes from that place that’s constantly experimenting and stripping back the clapped out formula for writing songs. Thus the throbbing baselines and twisting turny signatures of ‘League’ build a groove akin to Liquid Liquid that’s both delectable and engaging. The moody ‘Dark Moves’ is a highlight of their forthcoming EP, harking back to the early 90s a time when ‘indie’ music tried to connect with its listeners with gleeful musicianship and soaring hazy wistful melodies hammered into place by glistening guitar licks and thudding drum loops, it puts one in mind of the more sedate moments of Ride or a more modern slant on Teenage Fanclub. With a triptych of Inca’ EP releases slated for the rest of the year I’ll be fascinated to hear where their next journeys take them.
