Sunday, July 24, 2016

“Little White Lies” by Echotape – A Song Review

     Indie is a designation of an economic condition. Or at least indirectly, since it is used to identify a band (or movie, app, …) that is independent of major corporation influence in the practice of its art. That independence comes at the sacrifice of an influx of funding from a corporate entity (either because it’s not offered or because it’s refused).
     With the limited budgets, Indie music tends to lack the instrumental richness of well-funded bands. Bringing extra musicians into the studio may be affordable, but Indie bands need tour revenue to survive and it’s risky to have a lowered-production sound during live performances or to fill-in the sound by synchronizing the on-stage musicians with a recording of the other instruments. The same reasoning applies to the vocals that are typical of Indie music. Most Indie bands aren’t in a position to increase the number of people who receive a share of revenue, even if the quality of the vocals is noticeably improved.

     There are exceptions to the observation that Indie music lacks the richness of the music from the well-established artists. Which brings us (finally!?) to the most recent release of Echotape. “Little White Lies” begins simply enough, with a single vocalist accompanied by an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and a touch of percussion. Later, a second voice is included and the electric guitar captures more of the sound of a slide. Still, it’s not until after the 3:30 mark that “Little White Lies” explodes from the typical restraints of the Indie world. The electric guitars head in different directions in their approaches. The harmonization and percussion make a stronger demand for spreading the attention of the listener. And is that a string section that can be heard in the final minute of "Little White Lies"?

    Echotape is a four-piece band based in Middle Wallop, UK. The members are Marc Burford (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Dan Bowman (guitar, vocals), Daniel Morriss (bass), Mike Burford (drums).
    “Little White Lies” by Echotape


     “We've Been Dreaming” by Echotape (One of our favorite videos.)

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