EBB’s profile has exploded since the release of debut album Mad And Killing Time in 2022, mainly due to remarkable live performances which blend eye-catching, Hawkwind-style visuals with bold theatrical moves.
Erin Bennett remains at the heart of the band, writing all the material while also providing varied guitar work and powerful and impassioned vocals rooted in pop-rock. The rest of the line-up are rapidly coming into their own.
While The Mirror isn’t exactly a concept album, the songs are linked by well-realised themes of self-examination. The instrumental star throughout this beautifully crafted album is Nikki Francis, whose keyboards provide both drama and texture, often punctuated by displays of genuine virtuosity.
Many of her parts revolve around infectious, repeated piano lines, but occasional bursts of Hammond, synth and even Mellotron provide familiar yet welcome sonic variations, and she also contributes occasional sax and flute.
EBB are also set apart by their intricate vocal arrangements, featuring backing vocalists Suna Dasi (whose ambient synths also play an important role) and Kitty Biscuits, whose spoken-word interjections add an off-kilter charisma, here evidenced on the edgy Day 19.
Most impressive are their intricate and genuinely progressive arrangements, with the eight-minute Reason a case in point, built around Bennett’s near-metallic guitar and Francis’ piano.
But it’s the title track, an 11-minute extravaganza of progressive twists and turns, which really shows how far the band have come in the past few years. It’s without doubt their finest recorded moment to date.
Not everything comes off, with the various sections of That’s How It Goes failing to completely gel; and the drums, while beautifully played, don’t always punch through the mix as they should.
But the album finishes on the wonderful acoustic ballad Geneva. Having Bennett tuning up at the start is a lovely, intimate touch; and even here the band can’t resist adding extra value with another complex middle section.
Intricate, varied and yet emotionally honest, The Mirror combines the band’s emotional intensity with rapidly evolving progressive chops.
The Mirror is on sale now via Boudicca Records.
