October and the Eyes is the one-woman-band musical project of New Zealand born, London-based musician, October. She released her debut EP Dogs and Gods in 2020 and now some two years later she is following up with her new EP, Who Upset You?
Coming shortly after her hugely successful tour supporting the American experimental rock artist Yves Tumor, Who Upset You? takes up where those dates left off, in a howl of dark, subterranean noise. I’m not sure if it is the Hollywood A-lister that October has firmly in her sights here, but the opening track ‘Jack Black Must Die’ signals her opprobrium for a man of that name. Without nary a pause for breath previous single ‘Spiral’ creeps upon us like some thief in the night, with equally scant regard for our safety. Previously described by October as her wanting the song “to sound in constant flux, with reverberating percussion and vocals that feel like they could spiral out of control at any moment” I can confirm that it readily achieves its ambitions.
Not to be mistaken for some nostalgic look back to a previous romance, the stealth-like blues of ‘When I Was Your Girl’ manifests itself with similarly sinister intent. The EP’s title track feels like a rhetorical question, conveyed as it does in such a taut, claustrophobic manner it arrives as if the person asking it already knows the answer. And the EP’s closing track ‘I Walk The Line’ confirms that to the shade October and the Eyes is able to present some light, a reverb-drenched arm round the shoulder as if by way of some reassurance to the listener after the earlier onslaught on their senses.
Who Upset You? is not for the faint of heart but if you are brave enough to venture out from behind the settee your life will most certainly be enriched.
Who Upset You? is released on June 24th via KRO Records.
