Game of King is the first EP from Glaswegians Call Me Ishmael and I have to say it’s one of the best I’ve heard in a while and having only played together for a year or so they definitely have an impressive resumé, including supporting the like of The Temper Trapp and The Automatic.
The 4 track EP reminds me of Biffy, not just because of the accents but because of the atmospheric arrangements which ranges from shouty, aggressive vocals to soft, beautiful Scottish tones. The songs are really well structured, with fast drumming softened by delicate guitar all working together in harmony. Tracks are emotive and catchy, with ‘I am Stop’ particularly standing out as being an instant sing-a-long number. It’s the sort of track that creeps into your head and gets stuck gets stuck playing over and over whilst the dynamic rise and fall in ‘Blood of Ashes’ will have you toe-tapping and swaying along whether you want to or not. ‘Fire the Tank’ is a delicate closing number and has Brand New qualities to it. It slowly builds to a crescendo which quickly tapers out, closing the EP on a high.
As a first EP this is an outstanding effort and on I highly recommend checking out.
Libby