2:54 - Scarlet

Just like the Dalston boozers that 2:54 brood in weekly, EP ‘Scarlet’ is sultry, very trendy and just a little claustrophobic. Female-fronted bands are very much in vogue, and being lumped in that category is hard to avoid. Indeed, tracks ‘Dawn’ and Scarlet’, with their sparse arrangement and alt-rock backbone beg to be compared to Warpaint. The producer of choice, Rob Ellis, has also worked with recent mercury prize victor PJ Harvey. 2:54’s EP has one very valuable tool on its side – perfect timing.

That’s not to say that ‘Scarlet’ is just another hastily thrown together piece of hipster bullshit that relies purely on clever marketing and a bit of good luck. The Thurlow sisters might have the leather jackets and the glowers of seasoned grunge-rockers, but they don’t rely on appearance alone. Their sound is comprised of a complicated hybrid of influences, pulling prog, punk and shoegaze together, but it seems effortless. 2:54 sound like warm breath condensing on a cold window. The vocals are chilling, even haunting at times, but the melodies are richly textured affairs, set against the constantly pounding drums that power throughout the EP. This is a very strong debut indeed. If 2:54 continue to put out such high-quality lo-fi then we won’t need to compare them to more established ‘girl bands’; because the Thurlows will be the ones setting the standard.