Opening with the stripped back ‘Three Of Hearts’, it’s just Laura and her guitar, a fitting but somewhat misleading introduction. Settling into the record for the first time, a listener might assume all the tracks will be acoustic only. Although still managing to keep the raw, intimate feeling of a home recording, these songs have had a beautiful studio treatment by fellow Devouring Mothers band member Marc Hudson. Recorded at Laura’s own TinyQuietStudio in Chicago and Electric Eel in St Louis respectively, they feature percussion, bass, strings and a little extra guitar aside from the acoustic.
Down-to-earth, introspective and from the heart, Laura tells her own personal – yet often relatable – stories over the meaty strum of an acoustic guitar. Whether it’s the kitsch rhythmic warmth of lost love ditty ‘Lola 13’, the attitude filled uptempo rock n roll vibe of ‘Long Dark Night’ or the fun ‘Day Old Coffee’, Laura sings about the things she’s experienced – thoughts, feelings, emotions, events. The latter is the shortest song on the EP at only 1 minute and 14 seconds, but it does the trick. In fact, a lot of the songs on the EP are short. Five of the seven tracks clock in under two minutes. It works. They don’t need to be longer – they say what they need to say and get out.
“Down-to-earth, introspective and from the heart”
Most of the songs are simple and to the point although ‘Electro Static Sweep’ pushes more experimental territory. It’s the longest song on the record and at times sounding like some twisted lost cut off Sgt Pepper wrenched into the modern world. Laura’s voice is both haunting and powerful. Wistfully reflecting over lost friends and friendships, the track is both sonically captivating and emotionally relatable.
Relatability is definitely the key here and it’s something Laura acknowledged, saying “I’ve learned that if you share your experience with good intentions that the universe will always surprise you with abundant return.” ‘Smug Fuck Face’ is another great example of this. A song which, despite its title, is tender and heartwarming, telling a raw tale of a broken heart and the inability to move on from a relationship gone wrong. For anyone who’s ever asked themselves the question “will anything ever be good again?” After listening to this EP, the answer is a resounding yes.
One of those collections that gives you a little warm feeling deep inside, At War With The Silverfish is a pleasant midweek surprise for a dull September after a rough couple of years. Re-heat your day old coffee and hit play.
“One of those collections that gives you a little warm feeling deep inside”