I’ve found myself sympathising about post-punk recently, how they scrambled around in the dark somewhat, taking pot shots at reggae, claiming a “new wave,” or else succumbed or faded to new romantic electronica. Find myself wondering what they’d have made of grunge or emo at the time, because that’s progressing the style, and in this, Jess Chivers from Bath’s new EP, My Sunrise Companion, subtly nods towards punk’s true successors, but to have played this in 1977? Punks would’ve said, “that’s not punk, it’s far too good!”
While there’s nothing saccharine here, it’s evoking and blissfully cool, with the internal emotional pain of grunge in subjects, though not always in sound, only in places; like slowly defusing a bomb. The opening title-track of these four divine songs has the crisp commercial viability of an indie rock anthem, like the Cranberries. Foreign Land follows suit, but with this subtle rising and falling of grunge building as it goes; like a monster is coming, feeding on Jess’s thoughtful prose, but you can only see its shadows.
By Rotten three tunes in, the eruption occurs, the monster is revealed, and it comes over heavy feminine grunge, similar to I See Orange. But the finale Ravens on the Roof’s intro suggests something acoustic, and that’s where I’ve seen Jess before, bravely breathing this subtle punk influence into a majority Americana festival at Trowbridge Town Hall, but in an impressive acoustic manner. Raven on the Roof, though, builds into a powerhouse of layered grunge, gradually being exposed, and leaves you hungry for more.
This is so well produced, it blesses Jess’s sublime vocal expressions and the vivid interpretations her poignant writing evokes, yet it’s universally appealing, not only a pleasure on the ears of punks young or old!
Obviously I’m far too young to be an old punk, but I LOVE THIS!!
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