DESMOND DOOM - SURF-GOTH EP

You'll laugh, you'll die...

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.