Epicure - Firing Squad

Mon 24th May, 2004 in Music Reviews

Epicure’s breakthrough single Armies Against Me was an excellent piece of pop accoustica, which achieved them fame through high placing in JJJ’s Hottest 100. Not so highly placed, but no less a powerful song, is follow-up single Firing Squad.

From the now released album The Goodbye Girl, Firing Squad finds the protagonist viewing the end of a relationship as a death sentence, laid over the top of some slide guitar, blues riffs, keys and the occasional piece of savage acoustic work.

Lead singer Juan Albarn goes for a wide range of vocal styles, from light and airy to angry and confrontational, as the lyrics once again tread the thin line between emotional and ‘emo’ The song is a rollercoaster, as it flitters between ups and downs, while providing some fine lyrical moments, such as tag line “I’ll be breathing through my soul.”

Meanwhile, b-side Twelve Months Of Winter once again pares the groups sound back to its basics, acoustic and piano work, while relying on Albarns hauntingly sad voice to keep it moving.

However, the lack of b-sides is probably the biggest failing of the single; with a song that’s received as much airplay as Firing Squad, a few more songs would have turned this from a for-the-fans item into a must-have single.