BLUE CABS – Hey Presto - AlternativeTracks

BLUE CABS - Hey Presto ep

After a gap of over six years Blue Cabs have released their 3rd EP ‘Hey Presto’. They have defiantly eschewed the trendy and embraced the outsider tag with their combination of back-to-basics attitude and social conscience. Blue Cabs formed back in 2014 in Milton Keynes with James Joyce on vocals, James Frazer on guitar, Paul Pugh on bass and Ben Joyce on drums. They released their debut self-titled EP in 2014 and after a brief personnel change, James Cook replacing James Frazer, they released ‘Another Day, Another Quid‘ EP in 2017. Now back with the original line-up, fans who have heard their previous releases will be pleased to know the EP displays a creative experimentation of post-punk sounds and styles and they’ve never sounded so good. The band themselves describe their sound as stripped back lean and mean. I have to agree, there are no distracting effects and no unnecessary instrumentation, it’s an EP from a group of friends who know their place in the band and love what they do.

The opening track ‘Love You More’ is a thrilling introduction to the band, well-crafted, sharply-honed and energy-filled. Parading through a strong and pushy drumbeat, it acts as a drum roll for passionate vocals and an intensity of guitar sound. Track number 2 is what Blue Cabs do best, appealing to your social conscience. ‘Rebellion or Extinction (SFA)‘ is full of aggression, passion and raw emotion as James Joyce talk-sings over a post-punk backdrop, telling us

“killing trees should be treason and the planet is killing itself, it’s needs more than a change in the way we live, we need a collective consciousness to turn this around“

Add in to the mix a melodic chorus and you have an anthem for today. ‘Save Me’ is a beauty, there is a haunting, melancholic energy to the song. It is a heady mix of post-punk woven into a more melodic New Wave sound, a recipe for deep emotional upheaval. The title track ‘Hey Presto‘ comes next, with its bright guitars, contagious and danceable, this sound has the potential for a much wider appeal. Track number 5 is ‘Dirty’. It is relentless, energetic and potentially my favourite of the EP. “Dirty, wash your hands, they will never be clean” Joyce screams as the relentless and addictive mix of angry spoken vocals and guitar-driven indie rock becomes vigorous and thrilling. The EP closes with ‘Cosmic’, with a nod to its title, it’s a more atmospheric track that builds on gorgeous guitar tones. A perfect way to end.

If you would like to find out more about the band, live dates and future releases, check out their facebook page.