This EP really made my day! Their previous album, released many moons ago, was a great debut, but the loud silence that followed its release made me wonder if they'd just succumbed to one-album greatness. Like Interpol--who released a few things, gained much hype and disappeared until last year--Longwave made some great impressions upon first appearance, and rightfully so; apparently they hooked up with The Strokes (seems an odd pairing), and have since stepped into the "next big thing" spotlight. This little EP came out some time back, and is a nice little taste of what's to come on their forthcoming major-label debut. (Forgive us, please, of the lateness of this review; the CD was unexpectedly--but understandably--delayed in coming.)
The EP kicks off with "Day Sleeper," a powerful and strong instrumental that shows their electronic-pop debut was just a start. It's a quiet, introspective number that leads into the emotional storm of "Everywhere You Turn." The band slows down slightly with "Pool Song," which melts into the merely OK "State of Mind." At times, Longwave frontman sounds like a less-nasal Richard Butler; the apparent Radiohead influences have faded into the background, which is clearly a good thing. All of these songs--even the ones that falter--show that Longwave are a band to contend with.
I hope that the promises of greatness that are found on Day Sleeper are kept; they've got a lot of great ideas, and their sound is awesome. This is a nice little taste of a (hopefully no longer) underrated band who hold the future in their hands--and it looks quite promising, too!
--Joseph Kyle
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