South Londoners, Potato venture boldly where few have trodden before on their debut EP, Stew.
Release Date: 26th July 2024
Label: Mookin Records
Formats: Digital
Seven years have passed since Bob Corduroy – Head Potato and band founder – first set out his embryonic sketches of the material that would feed his band, Potato, and which would, eventually provide the foundation for this, the band’s debut EP, Stew.
Potato are: the aforementioned Bob (vocals, guitars, keyboards, clarinet and percussion), Sam Zisson (drums and percussion), Matt Wildman (bass, guitars and percussion) and Sam Honey (guitar). The band and, I suppose, Bob in particular, are influenced by the likes of Good Morning, Happiness, King Crimson and Philip Glass, so you’d be right to expect that their music will be imaginative and experimental; but quite HOW imaginative and experimental it is, is a genuine – and very welcome – surprise. Sure, there are elements of jazz, folk, prog and avant-garde to identify and enjoy but, as with all good recipes, it’s not necessarily the ingredients that matter, it’s the way that the dish is mixed and prepared. Stew is a collection that exceeds all preconceptions and expectations.
Speaking of the seven pieces that make up Stew, frontman Bob had this to say: “The intention was to be truly intimate, real and raw. The songs are pretty much all weaved around relationships to some extent, mostly mine, though not entirely.” And, offering something of a clue to the thinking behind the unique ambience of Stew, he says: “I’ve always liked the idea of creating soundscapes with the occasional catchy beat that’s familiar but then slowly subverting it to intrigue the listener.”
And that’s probably better than any rationale than I could offer to prepare you for this fascinating mini-album.
A crisp drum rhythm leads into a jazzy guitar and keyboard theme, and opening track, Roll, is up and running. Bob’s vocals are deep, rich and comforting and guitars weave around each other as the song gathers pace. The leftfield guitar solo was precisely what I didn’t expect on an opening track but, then, I’m as new to Potato as you probably are and – just wait until you hear Bob’s delicious clarinet playout.
The Philip Glass influence is most clearly detectable on the album’s two short instrumental interludes. TS 1, the first of these is an object lesson in atmospheric minimalism and the discrete background sounds are as interesting as Bob’s hypnotic piano figure. The mellow, almost-poppy Alright is an intimate examination of the fraying ends of a doomed relationship. Summery strums of guitar are set against a relaxed drum/bass background and Bob’s vocals – part sung, part spoken – add to the pastoral feel of the song. He manages to sound both plaintively engaged and distantly detached as his voice resonates from both speakers – and the guitar solos are wonderfully relaxing.
Inspired by the spectacle of female reveler rushing from a Shoreditch pub to projectile vomit into the street, Post Potato Reprise continues the theme of unpredictability that pervades Stew. Once again, Bob’s vivid vocals are the dominant feature of the song, but the backing – a glorious amalgam of sparse experimentalism and cozy lounge jazz is deserving of prolonged attention, and Matt’s basslines are fantastic as they swoop and spin around Bob’s lyrics.
Perhaps the central focus of the entire EP, lead single Almost Gone, is a masterpiece of whatever genre that Bob and the boys believe it fits most comfortably. No-one’s rushing here; the strummed guitars set their own pace, whilst Bob follows behind, repeating what they’re saying on his clarinet. Even the lyrics are repetitive – in a good way – and the whole thing reminded me of the more melodic elements of Trout Mask Replica. And the verses, when they finally come along are deep, rich and satisfying.
TS 2 is the longer of two instrumental interludes and, this time, there’s a hint of grandiosity in Bob’s piano statements, before this short, stunning collection is brought to its conclusion with the epic TK22. Described as : “…a swathe of tear-stained memories [that] spin around a tense loop that – mercifully – finds a melodious release, swapping self-torture for euphoric acceptance,” it’s arguably the most dramatic track on the EP. The “tear-stained memories” are evoked by Bob’s deep, otherworldly, voice during the song’s opening section as the accompanying fingerpicked acoustic guitar gathers intensity, before the “euphoric self-acceptance” takes hold for the song’s glorious, intense and highly-electric coda. It’s breathtaking.
Stew is an album that shouldn’t be missed. Prepare to have your values, your expectations and your preconceptions thoroughly reset.
Watch the official video to Almost Gone, the centrepiece of the EP and the collection’s lead single, here:
Potato online: Instagram / Spotify / YouTube / Bandcamp
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Categories: EP Review
