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Ex Libras - Cut(s)

Ex Libras - Cut(s)
EP Reviews

Stripping down your own songs to the bare bones is brave to say the least.



Label: Wirebird Records
Released: 6th September 2010
Reviewer: Lee Morris
Less than a year after their well-received debut, ‘Suite(s)’, London-based trio Ex Libras have put together another collection of acoustic / electronic, mind-bending / chilled-out vibes. Their latest EP, the aptly named ‘Cut(s)’, isn't a set of all-new tracks, but a revamp of some of those found on the aforementioned previous release.

Immediately it becomes apparent that this is a step out from ‘Suite(s)’. Gone is anything as brash and brazen as distorted guitars and acoustic drum tracks, and in their place we find samples, loops and even Cello parts. Acoustic guitars dominate this record, not the kind you usually hear on Folk or Indie records, but far more clean-cut, well defined and more reminiscent of the likes of Zero 7 than Billy Bragg. The cold Thom-Yorke-ish pianos are also out in force.

Although the vibe is certainly very close to that of ‘Suite(s)’, Ex-Libras have managed to distance themselves from their earlier record by creating a sense of space that wasn’t there before. Tracks such as ‘For Us, For Me’ are accompanied by reversed samples and Massive Attack-esque percussion loops that give the impression of something fresh, yet entirely familiar. The most remarkable thing that the band have accomplished is to make the formerly slick, charming and breathtaking original record sound presumptuous and disorderly. This was perhaps not their intention, but it is certainly a testament to their development as artists.

Stripping down your own songs to the bare bones is brave to say the least. Exposing your tracks to the elements and letting them fend for themselves is not something often undertaken by artists, so it’s quite refreshing to see a band so confident in the quality of their material. Rating: 8/10
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