EP Review – Will You Catch Me? By Cinéma Lumière (2020) (Catshelf Records)
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Cinéma Lumière are a Manila (Phillipines) based four piece who first came to our attention when the gorgeous lead single Love was released in November 2019, revealing them to be something of anomaly in comparison to much of the South East Asian regions’ typical sound.
For while the area tends to be able to produce the most precious of jangly indie-pop, splattered with the occasional fuzz-pop perfections, it is not synonymous with this more fully rounded sound, that manages to course effortlessly between all manner of slightly dream inflected extravagances, that are rounded off with a consummate selection of the best nuances that indie-pop has to offer.
As such, opener Love chimes jangled riffs amid a boy/girl vocal interplay that might be considered typically ‘regional sweet’, if the gregarious percussion and dominant riff did not add so much muscle. It’s dreamy indie-pop with too many gym visits and is perfect for the extra muscle.
London Tears feels almost apologetic for the bombast of the previous track. Hiding behind beautiful lo-fi beats, subdued slightly gaze inflected jangled melodies and a vocal delivery that forces an overall tone of melancolia. It is the least dynamic track on the release. but undoubtedly the most beautiful and furrows a path for the more obvious gaze inflections of the closing, Dreamcatcher.
Finally, the title track, returns to the boy’girl vocal interplay, adds an unmitigated pop emphasis, a slurried mix of twang/chiming riffs and trumpets/trombones(?), to give the release at least the one celebratory track it’s overall brilliance so richly deserves.
This EP was going to be released physically by Catshelf Records in conjunction with this digital release. Unfortunately the recent hurricanes that hit the Phillipines thwarted such intentions. However, click their Bancamp follow as it will be on its way in due course.
Wonderful stuff, from the latest brilliant find emanating from an area that rarely disappoints.
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