Special Friend: Ennemi Commun – album review

Special Friend: Ennemi Commun

(Howlin’ Banana Records / Hidden Bay Records)

LP| DL | Streaming from 26th March

Formed in 2017, the duo of Erica Ashleson (American, drums, vocals) and Guillaume Siracusa (French, guitar, vocals) follow up their debut EP from September 2019, with an album unveiling a singular talent for minimalistic pop.

Work began on Ennemi Commun, their debut album, last summer. It showcases the group’s sound developing through songs with the occasional layering of guitars & vintage toy keyboards, with more space for harmonizing vocals.

If you love Indie Music, especially the variety which includes fuzz-laden layers of guitar and glowing vocal harmonies, a road previously trodden by the likes of Lush and Ride with just a touch of The Sundays thrown in for good measure, you’ll love this.

If you close your eyes when you listen (or even better listen through headphones) each songs takes you on an introspective trip. The recent single, for example, the title track, is ambient and hypnotic with looping guitars, layered airy vocals, and urgent drums that you lose yourself in. Then there is the track Hazard, with its almost Mogwaiesque quiet/loud/quiet/loud/quiet structure. It took me back to seeing the aforementioned in the mid 90’s at the Roadhouse in Manchester and being emotionally and physically moved by the performance.

Hopefully, it won’t be long before bands are able to tour again. Seeing/listening to Special Friend combining melancholic moments and up-tempo rhythms is definitely be something to look forward to.

To find out more, visit Instagram, Facebook and Bandcamp.

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All words by Iain Key. See his Author Profile here author’s archive or on Twitter as @iainkey.