After putting out a few demos and singles over the course of the past year or so, Kansas City quartet Captiva release their debut, self-titled EP this week. Those early recordings, not to mention plenty of gigging including festivals such as SXSW, have built quite a following for the band, making this first proper release quite anticipated. Showcasing a more mature and accomplished sound, 'Captiva' displays an eclecticism which many guitar bands fall short on. Single 'Road To Ruin' has much in common with the UK's indie scene, with a slightly angular post-punk sound and bundles of energy which, when mixed with a catchy tune, makes for a great radio track.
That diversity is apparent on the funky '80s vibe that we get on 'Chemicals', a song that's something akin to The Police jamming with Arctic Monkeys, and also on the more pared-down 'Stimulating Freeze' which is more thoughtful but still has a strong pop element of the kind that could propel Captiva to success. The production is inch-perfect too; clean, crisp and really getting the best out of each song without the addition of too much gloss. 'Sometimes' takes a bit of everything, initially leaving the lyrics almost naked - something which only works with a well-written song - before switching the tempo and letting Captiva experiment and throw in different ideas, but it never becomes disjointed and is quite possibly the most interesting track they've recorded to date. You get the sense that this is just the start.
Captiva's website
Buy the EP
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