As I prepare for the week of chaos that awaits me, I turn to Baker Island for comfort and direction. Their 6-year hiatus is OVER, with them releasing an EP earlier this month, “Stone Age Riot”. This is an EP that bleeds one big thing for me; FUN. Hailing from Newcastle, Baker Island is a 5-piece group that boasts a truly unique sound, completely separating themselves from cookie-cutter, indie-pop music.
The title track starts out with a bass line that feels immediately magnetic, with rings of uniquely placed electro-noise that reverberate through your brain and body alike. The bass that introduced us to this EP stays consistent, anchoring us to the sound with a guiding hand.
The second track, I Am Widow, is probably one of my personal favorites. There’s so much unique instrumentation and background sounds that pair well with the more mellow-esque vocals. That bass we’ve come to be acquainted with makes its presence known, keeping me steady during the lovely whirlwinds this EP brings.
What Did Your Last Savant Die Of?, the fifth track on the EP has some great and quippy lyrics: “The camera adds ten pounds / But I don’t feel any richer / How quickly you tied my hands / And then my neck broke / You are the sciences, we are the arts / If only there was some way to tell us apart”. You can feel the resentment and frustration that bubble beneath the surface of the otherwise clean and polished vocals.
I really love what Baker Island is doing right now, the indie-pop sound as a base with a stamp and flair that is entirely their own…it truly speaks to me. Plus, I adore UK bands, the vocal accent always gets me pumped.
“Stone Age Riot” is streaming on Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify, so check it out and show Baker Island some love on their socials! There’s also a physical copy of their EP available and the vinyl colorway is kickass.
Written by Newt Fangs
