Review: Scattered Ashes – Parallel Lines EP (2021)

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One thing that has become clear over the last couple of years is that the music scene in Ireland is wonderfully robust and especially in its capital city of Dublin. Every month there seems to be a new band emerging from this exciting musical metropolis and the latest that are making waves are post-punk outfit Scattered Ashes. This Dublin based band, Rob Dalton (rhythm guitar/piano/vocals), Tom Dalton (bass/ backing vocals), Ben Downes (lead guitar), Eunice Saraiva (synth/ backing vocals) and Kian Johnston (drums) have a new three track EP `Parallel Lines` out this month.

This extended play opens with `Love Is Not An Option` which dips into the sinister aspects of an ailing relationship. A thumping drumbeat and throbbing bass line lead us into this quite retro, eighties dark and dystopian number. The vocal delivery is almost remote and detached with jangling guitar chords guiding us along and synth swathes joining towards the latter part before the track ends quite abruptly. Title track `Parallel Lines` retains the intensity of the previous track and becomes fairly hypnotic, quite mesmerising with powerful lyrics such as “You can’t get too close, You can’t walk away, You’re caught in the threshold, You’re stuck in the grey between right and wrong there’s a sacred place, To suffer the consequences Is to know his grace.” It has a brutal musical charm that pulls you in like a moth is drawn to a flame and will leave you drained as it concludes with the rhetorical line “Can we escape the fate that binds us?”

We close out with an extended reimagination of `Love Is Not An Option` offered up by Wastefellow (Diolmhain Ingram Roche) a fellow Dublin artist, producer and purveyor of electronic music, dubstep, garage and drum and bass. It`s a mix match of styles and tones that i`m sure will evoke debate amongst the band`s fans. I thought it was a brave move and have to say it worked for me.

I enjoyed Scattered Ashes debut EP `Parallel Lines`, which has some interesting influences such as Joy Division, Gang of Four and Bauhaus but they have their own blend and energy derived from what`s gone before. This was a delightful appetiser and I look forward to the substantial main course to follow.

Rating 9/10

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