Easter-‘Innocence Man’ (White Box Recordings)

If I told you that this album was only six tracks and thirty five minutes long, would that affect how you saw it? Or if I told you that Easter hail from Manchester, would that mean you’d expect them to sound like a bunch of Stone Roses and Oasis copyists, with a Liam/Ian Brown vocalist for a singer?

You’d be so far off the mark it would almost be funny. Fronted by Thomas Long, Easter produce an atmospheric, leftfield rock that owes far more to the golden era of ‘Alternative’ music than much of what Manchester has been supposedly prviding for nigh on a generation. It’s got nods to post-rock, and serves up a refreshing take on much of the work done by the likes of Godspeed, Sonic Youth and Slint.

The impressive thing -well, one of many of this album -is how much is going on here, without ever feeling overwhelming. The six tracks herein cover a lot of ground- and the vocals and ‘cello of Julie Campbell on ‘Begin Again’ are rightly held up as a highlight -show that just when it seemed rock dhas no further to investigate, no new avenues to pursue, someone can take the spirit as much of the sound of the heroes and run new places with it.

Loud and yet thoughtful, this is an album to play again and again. Excellent stuff.

****

Innocence Man is released on White Box Recordings on June 11.