It’s always nice when a highly-anticipated release lives up to its potential. The consistently brilliant debut EP by ILLLS [Twitter/Facebook] more than lives up to the promise of the material we’d already heard from it; in fact, it far surpasses it, and in its 6 tracks provides just enough for fans to sink their teeth into whilst simultaneously leaving them wanting more. The only solution for that thorny problem will be for the 21-minute EP to be absolutely played to death – I should know. I’ve listened to this a surprising amount since it was found lurking in my postbox last month.

The Oxford indie-rock duo are at their best when writing huge, melodic rock songs, the kind that’s best exemplified by the stunning Teeth, which has been my favourite song on the EP from a very early stage; there’s something about its excellent riff that gives it astonishing replay value. Having said that, though, the EP displays the sort of variety that indicates that the band are in it for the long haul. They write songs that are immediate but take influence from a number of different styles: Where Will It Grow is a finely-crafted power-pop song sandwiched in between two atmospheric, guitar-driven instrumental sections.

They’re well able to do ‘reserved’, as well; in comparison to the rest of the EP, penultimate track Streetcars is an exercise in self-restraint: an exquisite bassline dominates the song, combining with straightforward yet effective drumming, as well as  a soaring guitar riff that appears here and there, for the first part of the song, and then it descends into some confident soloing, before a final reprise of its chorus. The lo-fi production keeps the song in check, but it’s better that way, proving that ILLLS can cope with a change of pace.

There are some surprises too, of course – this would not, after all, be ILLLS if they didn’t decide to throw in some curveballs. There is a decidedly Animal Collective-esque feel to It’s Not Me, the EP’s closing track, as the band let go of their inhibitions and briefly get their psych-pop on. It’s oarticularly unexpected considering the nature of what’s gone before, and confirms  Dark Paradise‘s status as one of the best EPs of the year. It’s enjoyable from start to finish, it features nothing but brilliant songs… in many ways, it’s the complete package.

Dark Paradise is released on Monday via The Sounds of Sweet Nothing; pre-order digital and 12″ vinyl options on Bandcamp.

Goods

Teeth

http://soundcloud.com/illls/teeth

Bathroom Floor