EP REVIEW
Courtesans - Better Safe Than Sober
Courtesans - Better Safe Than Sober
This five song gem of an EP from Courtesans marks a significant point in the career of these four ladies from London Town. It is the point where the overt erotica that accompanied their early days no longer defines the band. This collection of songs stands on its own musical merits, showing a fully matured songwriting knack for intoxicating dark pop songs with a harder alt rock edge. The sexuality is still there of course, oozing from every close breathy vocal, but teasingly veiled within a heady atmosphere of layered instrumentation that wraps around the listener, revealing more with each further play. The songs sit around a variety of slow to mid tempo grooves, ebbing and flowing with waves of intensity that allow space for the music to breathe and the choruses to stand out, creating a feel reminiscent of Depeche Mode at their darkest (think Songs of Faith and Devotion and you’ll be in the right ball park… listen to In Your Room). Of course there’s variation within the style to keep things fresh throughout… Knowhere has a fantastic down and dirty punkish drone and Feel The Same features rapped/spoken word verses. The subjects focus on typically dark themes… addiction, betrayal, obsession, emotional dependency… but the overall feel is uplifting. Catharsis for even the blackest of hearts.
Better Safe Than Sober is available to buy from 31st March direct from the band's website with digital downloads available from the usual online music retailers.
More info on the band at www.courtesansmusic.com
Here's the opening track... Mesmerise...
