Rock / Indie Recommendations March 2011

Review: It's hard to find words to accurately describe this debut EP from Creep, AKA Brooklyn producers Lauren Dillard and Lauren Flax. Picking up some hype due to the guest vocals of The xx chanteuse Romy Madeley-Croft, Days is a supremely atmospheric record that neatly sidesteps easy categorization. Of course, that alone is not necessarily recommendation, but luckily this is a very special record indeed. It's the title track that really stands out here. Romy's outstanding vocals are wrapped up tightly in a freakish, closeted soundscape of foreboding chords, scattergun beats and psychedelic guitars. While some would describe it as 'witch house', we'd argue that this is merely next-level horror-pop. It's certainly beguiling. The first of a pair of fine remixes comes from Deadboy, with the Brighton-based producer lays down a version of "Days" that treads a similar sonic path to his rather fine treatment of Drake's "Fireworks"- all post garage broken beats, chilling chords and delay-laden vocals. The package is completed by a cosy analogue house take from Azari & III, which recasts the chilling original as a bubbling, retro-house groover. Typically plush vinyl packaging from Young Turks too.