Simmer – The Yellow Streak EP

Holy 90’s throwback Batman! Ok, maybe that is slightly unfair, but the swirling wall of sound guitars combined with the laconically delivered dream-like vocals was a hallmark of the alternative rock of that decade. The Chesire based quartet cite hardcore legends Fugazi and emo outfit Sunny Day Real Estate as influences, but being a child of the 90’s, I picked up traces of Mystery Machine, Swervedriver and even early Smashing Pumpkins throughout this EP. Wave after wave of swirling guitars rage, held up by a framework of bass and drums, building ferociously before crashing down and engulfing the listener to the point that you are experiencing the music rather than simply listening to it.

Douse and Head Trip are both very similar, employing the swirling effect with higher pitched vocal delivery, reminiscent of The Joy Formidable, and very well done. The vocals travel into hardcore territory at times, adding a different dynamic and completely changing up the energy levels. Both tracks are excellently crafted and whilst they may not instantly grab you, they do leave a lasting impression.

Laying Odds changes things up slightly with more direct punk rock riffing, surrounded by distortion aplenty of course, while the vocals just seem to slide along pretty effortlessly. Yellow Streak slows the pace down and plays off the classic quiet/loud dynamic overlayed with dream-like vocals, not dissimilar to the Deftones, if they turned down the rock.

Ultimately I think Simmer have created something pretty impressive with The Yellow Streak EP. Yes, it does sound very familiar and there are many other bands doing something similar, but the subtle shifts the band introduce make The Yellow Streak EP just interesting enough to make it stand out from the crowd.