Review: The Tape - Winter Cave

The Tape is an indie rock/reverb pop trio from Gothenburg, Sweden. They released their five song debut Winter Cave last year.

Although the confessed post rock influences are evident, I would mainly categorize this as pop, with strong melodies and hooks, front and center. Texturally the soundscape is based on ambient guitars and powerful vocals, with the drums being a chaos agent, constantly on the move in often unforseen directions. The lack of a bass player is covered by letting one guitar focus more on the low end and the drummer using the toms as a dynamic force. This, however, should not be viewed as a construed attempt of emulation. Rather, the basslessness cracks open the traditional rock formula and lets each of the musical elements - notably the drums - serve as a melodic instrument in its own right. Here, the lack of convention paves the way for an unusual dynamic between the playing styles of the group members, which - the band itself states - can be attributed to their autodidacticism. If a downside to this particular setup should be mentioned it is its tendency of almost always using "faster", rather than "heavier", as the means of dynamic transportation. However, one will not benefit much from comparing The Tape in this regard to bands with traditional setups; it is simply something different.

This is not slick pop, rather the focus is on the atmospheric and emotional capacities of the music. While this signals a liberating and fitting unpretentiousness and serves as a catalyst for the passionate energy the band emitts, there are a few times where the imperfections take me out of the experience; where the relative hurry of the recording process shines through. Surely, not all will feel this way, but the picky listener may consider themselves informed and encouraged to see past these moments so as not to miss out on an energetic experience.

As a debut, Winter Cave is the bands introduction of themselves and their invitation to the listener to join their previously isolated space of creativity. If a conjoining theme for EP is to be sought, it would be the longing for a haven where all can be who they want to be, though the topics range from anti-racism, feminism, broken families and the subversion of cultural norms. Here the political and the personal meet and find fruition in each other. Some of the lyrics are confrontational to say the least, while other songs take a more tentative stance. Extrapolating from the lyrics I find myself asking questions about what it means to be a part of a pluralistic society. Can there really be one unifying "common sense" for everybody without leading back to the kind of conformism the band attacks? If I could make one request in regards to the lyrics it would be a greater strive to go beyond the conjuring of liberal axioms, in search of a way to get behind the defensiveness of the "non-believers". Though this will require a continuous scrutiny of ones own agenda and motives, I believe it is the only way forward that doesn't lead to hardened hearts on both sides of the conflict that The Tape portrays.

Each track of the EP takes on different roles as part of the whole. The first track, Common Sense, draws the listener in with ambient drones and a powerful chorus, while the concluding Seeking My Way Out is the bombastic epic whos seven minute run time allows for more experimentation and extravagance. However, my favourite track is A Place to Stay. This is for me the unifying song that incorporates everthing that is good about The Tape; the ambience, the memorable melodies and the dynamic rock parts all come together with poetic lyrics adressing the longing for emotional and cultural freedom of expression.

Though only a first step of what seems to be a promising cultural career, Winter Cave is all that you need to familiarize yourself with, and get hooked on, The Tape. The trio's album debut which is in production now will reportedly take the music in a darker direction and be a more thought through installation. Needless to say, I can't wait.