First off, you have to love the artwork, right? But fear not, young saplings, it’s not all comedy here. Desmond has layers.
It’s not often you get such a brutal break-up song as ‘I Hope I Never See Your Face Again’ (‘The magic's gone, thanks to you.’) but honesty means a change is a good as an arrest. All together now:
“Get lost, I disown you.
Here's some change, take the bus.
Go far, far away.
I don't care, hurry up.”
After that doomy browbeating comes the glistening, agile ‘Now That You’re Gone’ with a sweeter visual entreaty. Then bouncier still for ‘It’s All Falling Down’ with a starker, statelier tone, until you hit the almost rickety chorus.
‘Get Me Out’ is dimmer and lightly wretched, heavy on the imperiously blotchy guitar, a snapshot of misery. ‘Take Me Back’ is far more engaging, with some weirder imagery (‘Sick and tired of the billboards, I found a salesman in my tea’) and a darker indie feel, fuelling the regret.
It closes with comparatively epic ‘The Dissociation Song’, pootling along, crestfallen bass sidelit by some charming guitar, gently lilting vocals spilling the lyrical guts.
A gorgeous EP and it has a sister release of b-sides that I will review in the week. Desmond is a funny character, make no mistake, but sensibly doesn’t let that affect the actual songs. Six songs, full of inventive touches among quite straightforward shapes, that I’m sure you will enjoy.