Edinburgh based song-writing duo, No Windows, made up of 16-year-old multi-instrumentalist Morgan Morris and 18-year-old vocalist Verity Slangen, today release their opening track ‘Shout (Red Song)’ taken from their promising debut EP entitled ‘Fishboy’.
Emerging through a soundscape of enrapturing birdsong, a singularly repeated, heavily distorted power chord breaks through, quickly accompanied by a driving bassline topped with dizzying vocals. This distinctive dream-pop sound is an apt introduction to a highly creative duo at their most promising evolution.
Verity’s vocals echo much loved singers such as Hope Sandoval or Fiona Apple. However, and unlike her influences, Verity’s ethereal vocals are imbued by a gentle subtlety, neither confronting the listener nor projecting any reflexive values. Rather, Verity’s voice fades from legible to indecipherable within moments. In ‘Shout (Red Song)’, it is important that the vocals are as integral to the composition sonically as they are lyrically. Therefore, this track is impressionistic, implying rather than making opaque certain feelings and emotions through its sound rather than its words. Indeed, in naming each track of the upcoming EP, Morgan chose a colour which he thought best represented the pieces sonically. Speaking on ‘Shout (Red Song)’, he says that:
“Shout (Red Song) felt loud, thrashy and noisy – which to me felt most like the colour red. Red reminds me of things that are intense like anger or love which, and while neither of those things are explored directly, they feel present as an undercurrent in the melody and sonic set-up of the final recording.”
This is why this track is such a rich piece of music, and also such a great introduction to No Windows. Nothing is made plain, everything is open-ended. It leaves the listener excited to enter into a new dialogue with a band who have everything to offer at such a young stage. Wholly developed, cleverly considered, and sonically reverent – welcome, No Windows.
‘Fishboy’ will be released on November 25th via Something.
Photo by Rory Barnes
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