Label: EMI Records

Artisan Guns’ debut EP, Bird and Bone, features a blend of intricate harmonies, swelling guitars and constantly shifting dynamics. What sets this young and upcoming New Zealand four-piece apart from other folk-pop bands however is their use of electronic effects, drum machines and interweaving riffs to create an atmospheric sound which entrances the listener.

A perfect example of this is the EP’s opening track, “Tuesday Night”. Lead vocalist Matthew Hope expresses not only heartbreaking vulnerability, but indeed urgency and angst, as he strains his vocal chords to reach some of the higher notes. The song also somehow manages to feature three different time signatures and some crazy syncopated rhythms without ever distracting or detracting from the track in any way. Instead, these individual different parts manage to transition smoothly into one another, just adding to its power.

A recurring feature in the songs on Bird and Bone is the group’s love crescendos. In particular, the single "Autumn" opens with a single guitar before gradually building up through numerous instruments until the sounds mesh together in the final chorus. The track then proceeds to deconstruct itself piece by piece until all that is left is a haunting and reverberating vocal line.

Some may note that the sound quality of the EP seems slightly rough at times, but this just serves to emphasise the emotions expressed by the band. Indeed, its unpolished and coarse recording textures simply improve the experience by lending the release a very live sound.

A highlight of Bird and Bone would have to be its lyrics, which prove time and again to be quite poignant. Often they are able to tell stories without being too detailed or specific, and in this way many people will be able to relate to them. The overall style is poetic and descriptive, especially in the aforementioned “Autumn”: “The naked autumn trees loom closer with the breeze, their limbs the bones that held our summer shade, I’m restless as the moon that covers us through June, with clouds that stretch and taint his evening gaze.” The combination of these powerful lyrics with the group’s mesmerising music results in some very beautiful and resonating songs.

Overall, Bird and Bone is a wonderful debut EP that displays Artisan Guns’ potential for success in today’s music industry. Hopefully as the group slowly releases more music they will be able to garner such much deserved recognition.

By Stephanie-Bowie Liew