Baker Island is a 5-piece band from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, which was previously introduced. They label their music as “lo-fi noise pop with weird bits” and mention that it is suitable for fans of Pavement, Guided By Voices, My Bloody Valentine, and Let’s Wrestle. They have supported bands such as Art Brut, The Research, Allo Darlin’ and The Wave Pictures, performed at festivals, and been featured on British radio as well. Their newest EP, “Love Eggtually,” is a follow-up to “Stone Age Riot,” released back in March, and we covered it on our blog.
Before I start exploring the EP itself, I have to note that I love the EP’s name— what a cool thing. I remember watching Love Actually with my family or my wife, and laughing hard. This pun is quite a good one. I always love it when bands get creative with their names.
The EP starts with a song titled the same as the EP. It is catchy lo-fi slacker indie rock with great guitar riffs and, in general, quite a captivating melody that will hook you right away. You can find lyrics for the whole song on Bandcamp. Still, I really enjoyed them, and especially this little reference to the Bible was astonishing:
Tie my hands up
Too late, I’ve fallen
But fair’s fair
David doesn’t want to beat Goliath
He wants to join him
The second track, “Let Them Eat Cake And Have It,” is synth-based and energetic, with all the little sounds in the melody that somehow feel cacophonic, but in a good way. The melody is quite energetic; it is distinct from the rest of the songs but still quite in line with the band’s style. Once again, if you want to dive deeper into the lyrics, just visit the Bandcamp page.
The third one, Fortune-Teller Friend, is once again slightly different from the previous two, with an underlying organ or synth sound. I am never good at identifying instruments, so forget my ignorance. The song climaxes with an instrumental ending, featuring multi-layered instruments and an overall explosive atmosphere.
The 4th track once again explores a slightly different sound, which is definitely slower than the previous tracks and more reflective. Once again, it is built around synths that are creating the central theme of the melody. Once again, there is something distinctive about the band’s music, and the feel from the song is somehow repeated across all songs.
“Champion’s Visit” is once again an energetic track, and for me, the standout track from the EP, with quite interesting introspective lyrics. For example, see this part:
Drawing the line at the top
Whilst I’m erasing everything underneath
Seeing a difference between picking locks and buying shares
But you know, even though I really hate sending people to their graves
Please understand it pays the bills
I do not fully understand the meaning, as not all the lyrics are straightforward, and there are many hidden references, but that makes listening to the music even more enjoyable. Even though the track is 7 minutes, I was not bored at all throughout. Well-crafted, explosive, energetic, lo-fi, introspective, whatever you decide to craft, Baker Island created an outstanding song. I recommend listening to the very end of the song, as there is a really nice trumpet outro. Definitely one of the best tracks on this EP.
The EP is ending with a short track with simple lines:
It’s easy to win if you’re worth it
It’s easy to win if you deserve it
It’s easy to win if you’re worth it
It’s easy to win if you deserve it
It is a nice ending to the song and sums up its overall atmosphere.
The overall EP consists of various songs with distinct feels, but together they work well to create an EP that showcases the band’s mastery of lo-fi indie rock in a new, surprising way. There were a lot of great little sounds, and many parts of the EP made me say, “Wow, this is a cool one.” I have been really enjoying listening to this EP, and Baker Island once again showed why they should not be overlooked on the British indie scene.
Give this EP a chance, and I bet you will fall in love with it.
Written by Filip Zemcik
