Egyptian Blue - A Living Commodity

Egyptian Blue have had a tumultuous time so far. Having toed the line of disbandment, they’ve since played to thousands around the world and signed to a record label founded by one of The Maccabees. Armed with enough ups and downs to fill a career, the Brighton-based alt-rockers use all of that experience and turmoil on their debut record ‘A Living Commodity’. From the opening bars of ‘Matador’, Egyptian Blue’s jangly post-punk is infectious and their experience on a bigger live stage – they’ve racked up dates alongside Foals and IDLES, to name just two - has paid dividends, as an irresistible hook sweeps you into their world. Imbuing the melodicism of Bombay Bicycle Club with the punky punch of SOFT PLAY, ‘A Living Commodity’ is a restless and rewarding experience. The twitchy schisms of ‘Belgrade Shade’ reveals the quartet’s flair for the peculiar, while the frenetic pace of the title track suggests that Egyptian Blue have their sights set high. Clocking in at a shade over 30 minutes, this album doesn’t overstay its welcome, but in being frontloaded with short sharp attacks, it leaves lengthier efforts to weigh down the back end of the record, and so the difference in pacing leaves the second half languishing somewhat. Still, ‘A Living Commodity’ is a succinct round up of the band’s strengths and one can only imagine them going up from here.