Projector: How Does It Feel? (Roadkill Records)

Arriving following a clutch of lauded singles and a growing live following, Brighton post-punk/grunge trio Projector unveil their debut EP. Possibly named after How Does It Feel (To Feel?) by groundbreaking sixties psychedelic band The Creation, vintage psych may have been on Projector’s mind for the set’s opening cut Full Circle. Boasting a weaving, Eastern influenced guitar line of the sort favoured by The Doors’ Robby Krieger, the track gives ample space to bassist/singer Lucy Sheehan’s stentorian vocals.

Switching vocalists to spotlight guitarist Edward Ensbury, I Am Shamed recalls off-kilter early Nirvana cut Floyd the Barber switching between the subdued flanged guitar verses and fuzz pedal driven pummelling choruses. Given a spacious production courtesy of Noisettes/Tigercub associate Ben Hampson, the vocal tracks impress throughout, cutting through the gritty guitar textures like an acetylene torch. Locating the midpoint between the uneasy tension of Safari-era The Breeders and the shadowy noir of The Ravonettes, Sheehan’s voice bosses Break Your Own Heart in incredible style.

Showcasing the trio’s way with a lyrical hook and roaring chours, Let Me is fuzzy grunge pop of the highest order. Underpinned by tubthumper Demelza Mather’s thunderous beats, the track sounds like something that MTVs alt. rock showcase 120 Minutes would have been in raptures over in the 1990s. Four tracks in under fifteen minutes that sets out their stall in exacting style How Does It Feel? is an astringent treat. More soon please. 8/10

Projector live dates:

Fri 9th November – The Haunt, Brighton (EP launch)
Sat 10th November – Moth Club, London

Tickets available here

Photo credit: Jessie Morgan