Echotape are another new name to me, but back in 2016, the London based four-piece made something of a splash with their debut album, Wicked Way, which saw the band perform across the globe from Vladivostok (Eastern Russia) to LA, whilst album track We've Been Dreaming smashed the million streams mark, raising the bands profile further and attracting attention from the likes of BBC Introducing.
This year the band have continued their upwardly momentum, performing at a number of high profile festivals, from C4R-Fest to Liverpool's Sound City and Great Escape to mention but a few, whilst recent single Forget It managed to attract the attention of Steve Lamacq, who played the track on his 6 Music show.
The aforementioned single is the opening number of the band's brand new EP, This Could Be Anything and for a newcomer like me, instantly grabs the attention, with a combination of urgent, tapped guitar, driving bass and melodic, hook-laden vocals, the track is an energetic and vibrant indie floor filler and yet still manages to avoid the trappings of style over substance, whilst it's fast paced, it's not just another thrashed out barrel of cliches. The addition of group harmonies and the clever yet never flashy guitar work, urge you back for another spin, whilst the frontman's clean delivery offers an accessible pop spin that could see Echotape appeal to an ever widening audience (a fact empathised on the EP's final number).
The second track, Out Of Love is perhaps even better, opening with a restrained synth and a group choral hook, the track soon rises with a pulsating beat and a wave of electric guitar, creating an instant indie pop anthem complete with the necessary rise and fall, addictive chorus and enough swagger to make it perfect for club sing-a-longs, dancing in a field or blaring from the radio. Like the other tracks on the EP, Don't Want Anyone continues the themes of love gone awry and longing, soundtracked by urgent, spiky guitars, a driving rhythm and a monstrous vocal hook that'll have anyone feeling the pangs of heartache, soon wiping away the tears, linking arms with a stranger and bellowing at the top of their lungs, as Echotape deliver another soon to be festival fave.