I got my ears on an advance copy of Dundee based industrial soul-rock two-piece Queequey’s Coffin’s debut EP, titled “Daddy” after their single which you can currently listen to on Bandcamp for free…So, go listen to that before reading any further and mind to use decent headphones no earbuds.
Queequey’s Coffin has produced an EP with a super soulful, dirty electronic, and industrial rock sound. They utilise a bass guitar heavily steeped in fuzz and an electronic drum machine coupled with a female soul/rock vocal to create infectious and powerful alt-pop tunes, think Zombie by the Cranberries and you’ll be along the right lines. The band has a gothic Blade Runner inspired aesthetic, which they managed to capture in audio form by use of sci-fi and horror movie sound bites that are peppered throughout the EP, I’ll let you try remembering where you’ve heard them before.
QUEEQUEY'S COFFIN, Live in Dungeon, Dundee.
The EP opens with titular track Daddy an up-tempo danceable tune that given the chance could fill the floor at any Cathouse style alternative club. A dirty bass riff and simple repeating synth drum pattern drive the foot tapping rhythm and the well paced vocal allows you to easily hear the lyrics and (try to) sing-along, Daddy is the perfect choice of single as it represents the bands core sound and feel.
These Clouds utilises a mainstay from 90s grunge as a song hook, the quiet verse then loud chorus a la The Pixies Gigantic. There’s use of overdubbed harmony lines and delay on the vocal, giving a dream-like texture to the melody that floats over a repeating bass line the only use of a clean tone on the EP. The chorus is star of the show here, the verse being expertly used to build tension before the loud fuzzy chorus kicks in.
The third song Poltergeist is my personal favourite from the EP, I‘m a fan of short fast to the point songs which is what you’ll get here. Poltergeist a classic blues structure that you’ll hear regularly in rock and pop music, the main riff followed by the turnaround that leads us back into the verse section. It took me longer than I care to admit to realise there was only one line of lyrics “there’s something inside me I can tell” but I suppose that's a testament to how the one line is framed by the melody and performance.
G’beh rounds off the EP with a slow building minimalist ballad, the song starts with a simple drum beat, distorted held notes on the bass, and a single vocal line then builds on each of these elements without taking away from the initial simple yet effective melodic idea. The real power of the tune comes from the layers of overdubbed harmony vocals that creep in throughout the song; the band achieves this when performing live with the help of a loop pedal. This is the type of song that a band uses to end a festival set preferably at night when the audience is feeling emotional/chemical exhaustion from the days revelry and have become especially susceptible to an impassioned reaction to the formidable yet intimate vocal performance.
Queequey’s Coffin’s Daddy EP is released on Bandcamp on Friday 20th September and that same night they’ll be having a launch gig at Conroy’s Basement in Dundee where you’ll be able to pick up physical copies while experiencing the songs live, if you’re able to head down it’ll be worth the trip.
TL;DR
Artist/band: Queequey’s Coffin’s
Record: Daddy EP
Genre: Industrial Soul-Rock Choice Track: Poltergeist
Listen if you like: Rock, ALT-Pop, Electronic, Industrial, the Cranberries, Pixies, and Joy Division
Would your mum like it: If she gets goose bumps listening to music she’ll like this EP. LINKS Bandcamp: https://makethatatakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/daddy-single?fbclid=IwAR3lTCzMEFFA0jQ5he0C3_G7mFolV6nsRJ7R_s2XmV9vmOe3AL6iKdu3Vds Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueequegsCoffin.official/ EP Launch: https://www.facebook.com/events/428195524704415/
EP Launch Poster.