Masters In France - Inhale

Masters In France are gaining serious momentum of late. The release of the Welsh five-piece’s debut EP, ‘Inhale’, only quickens the pace. Well, some of it does.

A chant repetitive opening to infectious lead single, and standout track, ‘Mad Hatter’ lulls the the listener into a false sense of security before racing into a rampant climax. The band take no time in introducing their distorted 80‘s electro-pop stamp on indie guitar bands, using the opener to showcase Ed Ellis Jones’ ruthless vocals and Owain Ginsberg’s racing guitar hooks.

As bizarrely named ‘Orbitoclast’ emerges, these motifs become more psychedelic nursery rhyme than edgy rock as the melody also takes on a more hypnotic style, giving the track a rather repetitive feel. The saving grace comes in an interesting choice of timbre and timing from drummer Sion Ed which brings a more natural dynamic to the track. Later track, ‘Artificial’ Inches has a similar issue though adding to the impression that Masters In France struggle when not at their bull in a china shop paced full throttle.

‘Greyhounds’, as the name implies, takes the release back up a gear while showing classic indie-rock is a format the band is much more comfortable with. Jones’ style takes on a wordy David Gilmore meets Phil Etheridge (previously of The Twang fame) hybrid with a hard hitting, football chant-esque chorus and raspy vocals being the order of the day.

Closer, ‘Little Girls’, shows signs of improvement on previous slower, unfulfilling tracks. Despite a continuation of the mechanical vocal theme, lilting guitar licks compliment the melody rather than mirroring it while, in a move away from frequented four to the floor, drum fills take on a more imaginative style.

As the meandering reverb of the guitar dies away, it almost feels like there should be one more track, one final blow. ‘Inhale’ shows Masters In France’s potential to produce genuinely fierce tracks, and shows gasps of fresh air in a slightly stagnant genre. A few more greyhounds could chase this industrial indie from the Welsh countryside to the attention of the guitar rock loving masses.