Anorak Patch release ‘Cousin Sam’ ahead of their debut EP, ‘By Cousin Sam’, due for release on 29th April via Nice Swan Records.
There’s something stoner-esque about the pace at which Anorak Patch wander through ‘Cousin Sam’. Long gone is the light-heartedness and quotability of ‘6 Week Party’, here the wide-eyed band are noticing the subtleties of Rock and regurgitating them with projection and precision.
The opening riff on this single has enough tension to be in the breakdown of another (reminiscent of the beginning of ‘Better Living Through Chemistry’ by Queens of the Stone Age), it’s not until Anorak Patch sluggishly reach for the fuzzed-out chorus that we realise where we’ve been and gone. Where it was once the ominous pads guiding us through the quieter moments of the song, the double-decker buzz of the climaxes solicit recollections of the Essex countryside.
This heftiness is on one hand complimented by the despondent lyrics of a family members resting place, yet Effie Lawrence’s vocal delivery warbles with a certain nonchalantness. The band say that the subject of ‘Cousin Sam’ “isn’t a reference to anything”, leaving the symptoms of the song to include (but not limited to) a slow, appreciative nod in sync with its 6/8 time signature, and quite a chilling aftertaste.
