REVIEW: KILKOVEC – PLUNGE (2017)

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Everything clicks into place

There’s just a feel that on this mini-album (eight tacks feels too long to call it an EP, even if two of them are short scene setters) Kilkovec mean real business.

There’s a steely determination about everything here – from the title to the songwriting – that seems to suggest that they think it is now or never and that they would be quite happy if 2017 was a big year.

There’s even a pleasingly grandiose feel about it too. This is from the lush, arena bothering end of alt-rock, rather than impenetrable screaming and shouting of the kids in the skinny jeans.

It starts with its instrumental title track, which always gives things a touch of gravitas, lets be honest, and plunge suitably taken, we are off and running.

“Change” which begins in a fashion which suggests that it will take it own time to get the job done, was of particular interest to MV, given that its chorus line doesn’t half sound like Wilt. The should have been huge Irish band led by Cormac Battle post Kerbdog is an outfit that this reviewer revisits every six months or so even now, so any comparisons to them are meant as the highest of compliments.

“Just Get Better” injects a Biffy like urgency to things, and “Somerset Cottage” is a work of real maturity, that indicates that not only are the Hampshire based trio in it for the long haul, they’ve probably got a prog rock album in them at some point too.

“40,000 Leagues  And Counting” is another that makes abundantly clear that the band wish is was still early in the last decade, thanks very much – sounding very much like something from that era, but pulling it off with some real panache.

There are hints throughout that Kilkovec don’t fancy being pigeonholed by the likes of us, nor do they want to be bound by your constraints. To that end there are left turns aplenty, not the least of which is “Go On (Again and Again)” which combines a goth streak with a gift for dark riffery, while “Here’s To You” is perhaps the most modern of the cuts here, but is absolute proof that whatever they do they can do it with class.

A collection that is never less than compelling and is frequently superb, “Plunge” is set to move Kilkovec forward.

Dive in.

Rating 8/10

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