Four piece West Midlands based indie band Four Crooks, are looking to steal the music scenes attention with their debut EP “Black Magic”. Lockdown provided these four lads from Telford with an opportunity to gather their thoughts and collective talents, and they took to a remote farmhouse to write and record this three track EP.
Title track “Black Magic” starts with an infectious upbeat tap and drumbeat, before a pleasing sliding guitar riff picks up the pace. The sounds soon collide together for an ear pleasing pulse of music. The smooth vocals of singer/guitarist Dave picks up the already racing reigns of this song with a short verse, speaking to a woman about the power she has over him, leading into a perfectly addictive chorus about the effects of the mysterious “black magic” she holds over him. The track is fast paced, as already mentioned, and extremely engaging with its repetitive hooks that get stuck in your head. If you dig down deeper into the meaning behind this seemingly jovial track, you discover its a musing upon the addictive qualities of women, and indeed substances of all kinds. The last minute of the track is a wonderful rumbling of deep grooves and varied vocal ranges, the pace and feel of the track is like a celebration of the things that can get you feeling high, but the meaning when you scratch the surface serves as a warning too. The track ends with a resonating note, leaving the track vibrating pleasingly in your mind.
Second track “Feel Alright” starts with a similar vibe, this time engaging us with an indie grunge vibe, a sound as pleasing as a swagger with your head held high. That is the exact message you get from the energetic lyrics, with cries of feeling alive after walking away from a difficult relationship and being the better person. Of getting redemption from doing so. It’s an anthem for all those struggling to do what’s best for them, an empowering track that leads you on a path of recovery and coming out the other side. A subtle cymbal shuffle is the accompanying sound to the resounding euphoria and heartbeat of this invigorating song. The vocals are a shimmering highlight to a perfectly arranged track. Last track Paranoia draws us in with a little hypnotic intro before we are treated to the same pace we are becoming accustomed too with this trio of tracks. This one has a deeper beat, and deals with coping with the feeling of being trapped mentally by the effects of anxiety and doubt. It’s raw and gritty, but delivered in an undeniable obsessive musical arrangement. A sumptuous and mature track, with articulate lyrical vocals, with the drum beat being the addictive feature of the track, as the guitars stitch themselves around the groove with melodious accuracy. Each track is mettlesome, and pushes the boundaries courageously and successfully, for dealing with some very difficult topics. When writing comes from the heart, it can be heard, and all three tracks are packed full of realness and experience. This is real, pure indie-rock at its absolute finest. Dave, Eamonn, Toby and Dan should be proud of themselves, as if this is what lockdown can produce, imagine what they can come up with with a bit of freedom on their side. This EP is going on my Spotify playlist, and will surely rack up some much deserved streams for this exciting band.
By: Kate Ford