East India Youth: Culture of Volume | Album Review

This follow-up to William Doyle's debut, Total Strife Forever, is perhaps a more cohesive record, in terms of its musical atmosphere; drenched in synths, and with interesting percussive patterns, it sounds unified, where instrumentals such as The Juddering, with its repetitive, flitting synths, complement the pleading vocals of End Result.

At different turns, Doyle's vocals can pleasingly echo Marc Almond, and there are speckles of The Pet Shop Boys; Hearts that Never signifies some interesting musical ideas, with furious loops and percussion, while Entirety is a heavier counterpart.

Yet for all of its cohesiveness, Culture of Volume lacks a certain looseness, and too often repeats musical ideas.

While sometimes this resembles a dreamy coda – such as the melancholy Carousel – it sometimes feels as if its welcome is being outstayed.

A record with potential.