ZyNg Tapes has just released the 5-track self-titled EP by Savage Goth. As usual with this label, the release is a complete work of art, this time issued as a turquoise cassette with on-body printing, matching turquoise case and full colour artwork, limited to just 50 copies. The band's name seems to be deliberately ironic - there is nothing savage about their music, and nothing particularly gothic, unless you're from the school of thought that sees dreampop as falling under the goth umbrella rather than the indie umbrella. Their style is influenced by classic indiepop and dreampop, whilst adding much to their sound that is new and creative. Ghosts is beautifully atmospheric dreampop, with lashings of cathedral-esque reverb, but presented in an updated form with the addition of electronic beats and synths. Manchester Tombstone Surfer Cult is in the best 80s-style DIY indiepop tradition. Lurker is brilliant jangly indiepop with ethereal undercurrents. Bloody Hell Fire is classic songwriting with a touch of laid-back US-style folk-rock, augmented by dreampop-style atmospherics. Revival is a multifaceted track putting an inventive spin on indiepop and dreampop. This is an absolutely fantastic tape; out of ZyNg's recent releases, this is the one that's most in keeping with my usual tastes, and I hope there will be more to follow in this vein from ZyNg in future. The tape has created quite a buzz already, and at the time of writing, only 5 physical copies remain, though a download version is also available for those who prefer that format.
Meticulously-crafted productions provide the backdrop for haunting, slowly-winding vocals on this gloriously shadowy EP. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 19, 2017