IT’S SHIMMERING, it’s languorous, with a classically rousing indie glow, a clicky bass propelling it forward as guitars and keyboards combine in a glitter that’s part shoegazey, part classic-era Chills or the like. A But wait, what’s that going on lyrically, sung so sweetly; the old plague slogan, “bring out your dead?”
And then it breaks to a grand declamation, knowledge handed down as from Nick Cave in Mutiny!-era Birthday Party, with a dark and beatific grin.
It’s a first track from the forthcoming Live From Toad Hall EP, the welcome return of New Zealand’s Horror in Clay, which is out in the first week of June.
MUZAI Records’ Benjii, the label who will be bringing the EP forth unto the world, describe the band’s sound on the latest single as having “benevolence” but “still quite chilling”, and he’s nailed it there.
Horror in Clay vocalist and guitarist Casey Latimer describes their sound as “post-punk/pop with one of those Limp Bizkit DJ-type scenarios in the mix.”
Live From Toad Hall collects two previous standalone singles, “T.U.X” and“Burnt Hands”, alongside two unreleased numbers; but the those singles have, says Casey, “ been mastered with more flash.”
Live From Toad Hall comes with distinctive, off-kilter artwork, as you can see from the picture above; and as well as the cassette release which that picture will grace, there’ll be an art book featuring work from Horror in Clay members.
“I think the art and music influence goes both ways for me involved in the art process,” says Casey; “but overall it’s just collating what feels right to the end product.
“We found all these photos books in the trash and decided to pimp them out and thought they’d go well alongside a cassette. It all comes together at the last minute somehow.”
Horror in Clay’s Live From Toad Hall EP and the accompanying art book will be released by MUZAI Records on June 4th digitally and on cassette and will be available from the label’s Bandcamp page. Connect with Horror in Clay on Facebook.
