Fjords would be the ideal name for a Sigur Ros aping, airy-fairy dreampop band who create music that's best experienced with David Attenborough talking about Polar Bears over the top of it. Despite the icy, monumental and earthy images that may pop into your head and get BBC Nature's music department excited, this Cardiff quintet would be more suited to gritty dramas or segments of British films such as Trainspotting. 'Dead Diamonds' is the band's debut EP and takes spirited alt-rock, adding an extra dimension and depth thanks to the incorporation of more electronic sounds. Before you go thinking they're some kind of Welsh version of The Killers, have a listen and you'll find more urgency, less arena-friendly choruses and more tasteful production.
Opener 'Russian Doll' does have a chorus that would sound perfectly at home blaring from radio speakers but the sound is more resolute and tough. 'My Week In Shinjuku' ups the pace and brings the pop melodies but the heart that pumps them isn't as shamelessly commercially minded. Synths rule the atmospheric title-track and find Fjords in a more reflective mood before 'Say It As It Is' takes the anchor leg in the manner of a lost Sparks track. 'Dead Diamonds' is a decent EP without having any overwhelmingly outstanding moments. It's nicely done but you sense the band have only just come out of the blocks and are yet to hit their stride. To take the Olympic analogy a bit further you could say this is no false start, they're up and running safely but the next few paces will really show us what they're made of.
Fjords' website
Release info and more music can be found here
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