Races jump out the gate strong with this release.
Races – Big Broom EP (2011) – 7.0 / 10.0
Label: Frenchkiss
Big Broom EP is “just” a formal release of Races’s debut single with two B-sides. I say “just” because if this EP is any indication, their debut album (coming early next year) is going to be a stunner. By the same token, though, it’s possible that Big Broom EP is a masterful deflection that conceals the fact that they have nothing else going for them. If that’s the case, these guys would be great magicians.
The difference between Races and most “indie-pop” acts that I’ve ragged on recently is that Races remember to be likable. The title track has one of the best chord progressions I’ve heard all year, and while “All For You” presents a tale of unrequited love, the backing track is updated doo-wop, something I’m all for. “Hope & Gloom” is the weakest of these songs, though the difference between its quirky psych pop and its dark imagery is still something to be admired.
My biggest problem with this release is that there’s not enough of it. The point, of course, is to wet our appetites for the upcoming full-length album, so in that respect, Big Broom EP is a huge success. Let’s just hope that their proper debut lives up to the potential hinted at here.
