CoCo and the Butterfields, Monsters - EP review

Nizlopi, Of Monsters And Men, Screaming Maldini - this sound has been done almost to death.

As soon as this, their fifth EP, croons into life you immediately feel like it's been heard before. Others have also previously mastered the acoustic/electronic pop vibe, and did it better.

It does what it says on the tin - it's frivolous, it's light and it utilises rising melodies alongside soaring, pitched vocals to try and lift life's daily grind. The problem is that train never comes close to switching tracks.

Yes, we see the speed increase and decrease from song to song in a bid to get fully emotive. Robots showcases this. Its pained piano allows vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dulcima Showan to display the full depths of her voice. Other than that, though, there isn't too much else to write home about. It's like an ode to the power ballads of yesteryear, never taking on its own identity.

But sticking with that acoustic pop sound, we have tracks like Giants sitting slap-bang in the middle of this five-track EP. Showan shares the vocal chalice with Tom Twyman here as they often do, and the contrasting sounds of their vocals do raise the song up. But then it's let down by some truly awful lyrics at its conclusion. "Fee-fi-fo-fum if you love someone" on repeat is just...no.

Their singles Monsters and Puppets head up the offering and are the kind of sounds advert executives bite hands off for. Monsters is softer than the rest with its reverberating percussion beats carrying the guitars and vocals along with ease. Puppets goes for the sing-along mantle in a live set, its quick-paced chorus again coming with high-thumping stick-work powering it along.

The closing track, Animals, does offer some redemption. Fiddles and electric guitar give it a Celtic aura - like something you would hear in a country pub while holidaying in the Emerald Isle. Its energy and effervescence is uplifting and it does hit its targets in that respect, especially when the electro interlude zips in to life. It's worth trying to get hold of this on Spotify for a listen if the rest doesn't appeal.

Rating: 4/10

CoCo and the Butterfields bring their autumn/winter tour to Rugeley's Lea Hall on December 7