I/M/M/I/G/R/A/N/T/S - Softly

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

I/M/M/I/G/R/A/N/T/S by name and immigrants by nature. The band may be based in London, but the members are from Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and Brazil, and to make this even more of a global affair, the video to new single 'Softly' was made by Japanese artist Shunsaku Hayashi. The result of such a wide array of locations and potentially quite different upbringings? Well, we'd be lying if we said that this song didn't have a little bit of 'OK Computer'-era Radiohead to it, but there's more than that and this is most certainly not imitation.

'Softly' is a bit of a slow-burner; the pace is fairly slow and it does take a few plays to properly get to grips with it, but that's not to say that there is no immediacy here. The song feels bleak and unhappy, beginning with sparse guitar and a world-weary vocal, but after a while they add layers to this, gradually putting flesh onto the bones. And so we get brass, we get haunting electronic effects and we get basic harmonies (or possibly double-tracked vocals) and eventually a slowly stomping beat that accompanies the guitar as it hauls the song up an extra emotional notch. 'Softly' isn't party music, that's for sure, but it is quietly majestic and very well made.



I/M/M/I/G/R/A/N/T/S' website





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