Depth Charge Ethel "The Arkhams"

NOTE: This review was originally published on 3/2/14 at KOVL's Facebook page

In trying to get a feel for what to say about Depth Charge Ethel’s “The Arkhams” EP, the number of times I listened to it was well into double digits. Not because it took so long to grasp the music, but because I liked what I heard, and really wanted to give it a proper analysis. The fact that it’s a five-song collection was another factor. When I took a look at their Bandcamp page and prepared to download the EP, I saw they were classified as both indie and punk. Combine that second adjective with “British”, and I had thoughts of comparing them to the Sex Pistols. But I can gladly say that there’s no “God Save The Queen” on the record, and I doubt their antics would approach those of Johnny Rotten or Sid Vicious.

Thanks to today’s production values, DCE does sound more polished than some of their early predecessors, but there is still that raw feel that helps define punk. They clearly haven’t forgotten their roots. And there are moments that reveal that they’re influenced by bands ranging all along the rock spectrum. The second song, “Through The Clouds”, begins with a stripped-down version of Humble Pie’s opening riff from “Stone Cold Fever”. To DCE’s credit, that’s the only similarity. The fourth song, “She’s An Enigma”, begins with essentially the same note as The Troggs’ “Wild Thing”. Again, that’s the only moment in the song that seems to blatantly draw on a musical classic. That song may be my favorite of theirs from a lyrical standpoint, talking about a girl who is equally comfortable picking a fight (with a man!) on a dance floor, as well as beginning a date at the beach, and ending it the next morning after spiced rum, vodka, and the requisite bedroom adventures. Singer Mat Taylor just can’t find the words to describe her. “Quirky” doesn’t work, nor does “mad at the world,” nor anything else. Therefore, “enigma” is the only word that fits her. It’s their most up-tempo song, with a little mod feel to it. Pure British, that.

To find their musical influences, one could just cheat and look at DCE’s Facebook page, which reveals a range from Nick Cave to The Who to Radiohead. In fact, the band name comes from a Nick Cave side project song title. The good bands take bits and pieces from bands that have inspired them, and fuse everything to make a sound all their own. Depth Charge Ethel has done just that.

“The Arkhams” is available on their Bandcamp page, for a recommended price of 3 pounds, or roughly $5. They allow you to set your own price, and there is a small conversion fee if you’re not in England. It will be money well-spent. My five dollars certainly was.

Final rating: 4 out of 5

Download “The Arkhams” from Bandcamp: http://depthchargeethel.bandcamp.com/