Few phrases strike more malaise into my heart more than ‘Self Produced.’ Be it a well-meant attempt to put their personal touch on a release, or an economic necessity, the knowledge that a local act has forsaken an engineer for their own set up does not usually install confidence. Yet, as with most things, rocking quartet Romeo Indigo Romeo buck the trend. With the exception of Francis McCabe’s (Mill Road Studios) guidance on the second track, their debut EP ‘The Romeo’ has their fingerprints all over it. A hulking, distorted Goliath fuelled by an alternative figure and no small amount of fuzz, the figure cut from their semi-eponymous release is an imposing one. Drawing on the influences of their contemporaries, the EP blends indulgent, riff-driven break downs with spiralling gritty vocals and a tendency to nostalgic garage rock rhythms.
Much of the power of The Romeo, for all it steely guitar heroics, can be found in the propulsive nature of the percussion. Drummer Chris Millar often leads the charge and sets the tone during the bridges between breakdowns, pivotal moments for acts such as these. Atmospheric, foreboding and irreverent, they act as the starter pistol for the most exciting moments of the release, fusing themselves intrinsically with the overpowering identity of ‘The Romeo.’ On the subject of such an identity, it should also be noted that the record benefits greatly from the influence guitarist/producer Simon Harte. It is hard to fathom whether or not an unfamiliar engineer would be able to pick up on the specific importance Millar has towards creating the malevolent ethos of Romeo.
This is a trend that continues throughout. It is on the final two-track, Harte’s direction can be felt most: the spiralling alt-rock fury of ‘Wolf’ and the lick-laden groove of ‘That’s What You Get’ all see each band member play their unique part in the dittoed symphony, the best in them brought out by their faithful guitarist. An EP that capitalises on their strengths and captures the frenetic energy of their live show, ‘The Romeo’ is an EP that only Romeo Indigo Romeo could make - and it sounds like it.
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