EP REVIEW: Open Lines – The Gold Supply
There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. For UK band THE GOLD SUPPLY, anger is the “stage hangs around a long time and eats away at your insides.” This is in relation to the opening song of their debut EP, Open Lines, which provides something of a soundtrack for the apocalypse. Of course, grief could essentially be viewed as an apocalypse in and of itself.
Formed during the pandemic, and born into a world of chaos where the cost of living is rising and the world is in turmoil, THE GOLD SUPPLY have taken the disasters around them and channeled them into this record. Let It Go is not a cover of the famous Disney song; it is the sarcastic response to useless advice people give you during grief. The song itself is light-hearted, and the chorus is sung in child-like wonder. This contrasts with the harsh verses, which are practically snarling with anger.
No Addictions follows and is sonically different to its predecessor – it’s more mellow and softer. This does not affect the pacing of the EP because it soon speeds up, but this doesn’t really turn into anything, leaving the song feeling a little anti-climactic. There is a bridge of instruments that is fast-paced, however this again does not do anything to help the song. Apart from that, the pacing is perfect.
Lead single Something Like You is a groovy song, with enough funk and bass to get people dancing. Although it is mid-paced, it is unique enough to hold people’s attention. This is down to the vocal distortions that make the chorus echo around the backing vocals to create a truly eerie experience.
The record’s penultimate track Never The Same Again continues on the same groovy path. However, the dance-influenced instruments add some individuality to the song. Of course, each song on the EP does hold on its own; on the other hand, having a common sound helps individuality.
Our Last Few Days is the final song and it sounds like something from a movie soundtrack. It is eerie, haunting, and an EP highlight. The stripped-back nature of the song conveys a sense of urgency about the subject matter of the song. Despite it having a stripped-back nature, it keeps in pace with the other songs on the EP. This creates a coherent sounding record which makes for a fantastic debut.
In conclusion, THE GOLD SUPPLY have produced a well-constructed, cohesive EP that already feels relatively timeless. The pacing is flawless. The sense of anger, pain, and confusion is relatable because everyone can feel it now we are entering a new era of the world as we learn to live alongside the pandemic. However, those feelings of loss, anger, and confusion can be found in every moment of life; moving schools, leaving jobs, and – most life-changingly of all – losing a loved one. Grief is unpredictable, and this EP perfectly captures the fear, confusion and anger of it all. It is a fantastic EP by a band who can only go up from here. Keep an eye on THE GOLD SUPPLY because they are definitely a name to watch.
Rating: 8/10
Open Lines is set for release on April 29th via self-release.
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