Meursault: Nothing Broke

As regular readers will be well aware, I'm a big fan of Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, the debut album from the Scots roustabouts Meursault. I'm a little late in reviewing this new EP of theirs, Nothing Broke, primarily because I wanted to give myself ample time to absorb it.

The packaging for this EP is superb; a (presumably) cheap cardboard sleeve with a hand painted/drawn design, hand-stamped and hand-numbered. It feels like a lot of thought and a lot of love went into making this EP - it's a real boutique product. There's only 300 of them, too, so if you're a fan I suggest you get your order in before they sell out.

Texturally it's a markedly different beast to the album. The digital elements have all been replaced by a much sparser, acoustic atmosphere. Mainly because, one assumes, the line-up of the band has changed somewhat since the first record was recorded. I gather PoB/KWT was a studio-based venture, where frontman Neil Pennycook played most of the stuff, but since then Meursault have become a band proper (as you can see from their Toad Session).

I certainly like this EP a lot, but I'm not sure I'll ever come to love it. Without the more jagged elements (the programed beeps, drums and sine waves from the album) this record seems to be treading water. The forward momentum that gave PoB/KWT it's sparkle is not as evident here, and quite frankly this is due to the songs. The more introspective feel and tone are evident in the structure of the songs as much as in the instrumentation used. There's plenty of space in this EP - which I would say is ultimately a good thing - but it does rob the music of the drive (and perhaps the passion?) that so attracted me to the album.

In conclusion, this is certainly a very good EP in all senses; it's keeping fan's appetites keen, and makes for a jolly good listen. I would say, however, that it doesn't hold a candle to Meursault's album. This release is more for the fans; if you're new to the band then I'd recommend you explore the album thoroughly first.

N.B. As you can see from the comments section, due to popular demand it would appear they've made some more.