Tag Archives: Cloakroom Q

Album Review, Alt Rock, Experimental Rock, New Music

Cloakroom Q ‘Yes Again’ Album

Belfast band Cloakroom Q have released their new album ‘Yes Again’. ‘Yes Again’ is a piece of wonderfully unique and at times obscure art which showcases a band unafraid to express their darker innermost thoughts through music. Laced in dark theatrics, frantic instrumentation and quirky lyrical outbursts Cloakroom Q’s album is not for the faint-hearted. With crashing guitars, ground shaking bass grooves and manic drums ‘Leave Me At Lusk’ and ‘Zhia’ start the album with brain melting distortion and gritty alternative rock.The band meld The Prodigy – esque sounds into their continuous onslaught to provide a crazed and barbed wall of sound. ‘Yes Again’ travels full throttle until the listener reaches ‘Here Everything Is Still Floating’. With delicate twinkling guitar radiating through an ethereal atmosphere the track provides a brief release from the heavy sound of previous tracks. However the band still manages to seep psychedelic undertones into the song through the punchy drums and melancholic melody.

The vocals throughout the album are filled with angst and despair as the lyrics are spit, exclaimed and shouted with such intensity it’s almost like a glorious performance of dramatic poetry. Placing their unique vocal delivery against a prismatic, image-evoking and dramatic backdrop is what Cloakroom Q do masterfully. Their ability to create ominous, chilling and explosive soundscapes which exudes raw vigor is mesmerising.

With tracks like ‘Capra Takes Off! (Hand Me My Jetpack I)’ and ‘Capra Comes Down (Hand Me My Jetpack II)’ the band take the listener on an intimate trip into gnarly alternative rock one minute and floaty hippy-esque pop another and lets not forget a cheeky little stop off at indie rock lane with ‘Nowhere To Spit’ which chimes with warm jingles on guitar and soft twinkles on keys. The band also venture into jazz, art rock and beyond with this album, using genre as a springboard for their expressive songwriting rather than adhering to its confinements. With elements of Talking Heads peeping up here and there and a faint REM residue, Cloakroom Q create their own unique sound filled with jaunty riffs and quirky melodic hooks which is best portrayed in the crazed ‘KFHC’ and emotive ‘Barely A Shadow’.

Cloakroom Q have created a refreshing alternative art rock album filled with a lush variety of instruments which include horns, bells, organs as well as your usual guitar band set up, however through all the madness there are some surprises within the album. As in all good albums there lies a hidden gem to discover, the sweet doo wop ditty ‘The Door’. A 50’s-esque honeyed melody drifts upon a slow shuffle tempo, seductive bass groove and light guitar while soft vocals coo ( that’s right I said coo, not screams or wails…well until the end) over the dreamy soundscape. It’s a charming little number which shows the band at their most pop.The song ventures into a meatier funky crescendo and it does go a little obscure and dark but not enough to change the sweetness of this brilliant track.

‘Yes Again’ is a story and journey and it plays through like one. The entanglements and frustrations the band express at the beginning seem to work themselves out as the album eases into the more mellowed end. Cloakroom Q have an impressive knack with dramatics and their talent is just as apparent in both the manic, expressive alternative tracks as it is in the more melodic tunes. The lyrics are honest, sometimes paranoid and aggressive and the band mirror this with intense instrumentation.

‘Yes Again’ is a unique and intriguing journey into Cloakroom Q’s unconscious. Their use of vivid witty songwriting and the bands unmistakable musical prowess has created an album like no other. 

Stream ‘Yes Again’ below


Author : Danu

Alt Rock, New Music, Theatrical

Cloakroom Q. ‘Nowhere To Spit’

Cloakroom Q have released their new single ‘Nowhere To Spit’ off their upcoming album ‘Yes Again’. Liberated by an LCD Soundsystem gig in 2016, Cloakroom Q became upstarts with synths, loops and dynamic tension. They mess with the idea of stage performance, with primary colours, smudges of make-up and even mock fights on stage. From the Mournes area of South Down and now based in Belfast, they have experimented with spoken word and confessional themes. 

‘Nowhere To Spit’ is a theatrical display from Cloakroom Q. as they use their unique storytelling and quirky melodic hooks to create a refreshing alternative art rock track. With a lush variety of instruments from horns and bells to organs; the band flesh out their sound superbly. The track kicks into motion with a delicate guitar jingle while ominous vocals haunt in the background. ‘Nowhere To Spit’ displays a sublime contrast between soft sweet twinkling moments and mysterious sinister progressions with elements of theatrical bursts throughout. Glittering keys provides a light innocence to the track while strident guitars and punchy drums create glimmers of rock which unfolds with elements of stage performance theatrics. ‘Nowhere To Spit’ is quite an intriguing blend of music which works well within the band’s unique and powerful soundscape. 

Stream ‘Nowhere To Spit’ below


Author : Danu

Alt Rock, EP Review, Grunge, Grunge Pop, Indie, Indie Psychedelic, indie rock, New Music, psychedelic, Rock

Cloakroom Q ‘Going For A Walk and I’m Not Coming Back’ EP

Northern Ireland art rock/neo psychedelic five piece Cloakroom Q are set to release their new EP ‘Going For A Walk and I’m Not Coming Back’ this Halloween. The band started in late 2016 and have since released a few singles and low fi compilations. These compilations were in the form of “official bootleg” recorded during the band’s earlier stages which include the single “Don’t Come Home” and their other more recent complication “Seven Stories Up”, partly recorded in Toulouse France and features versions of tracks off their debut EP ‘Going for a walk and I’m not coming back’.

‘Going For A Walk and I’m Not Coming Back’ is a spine tingling collection of tracks that weave and flourish with sublime obscurity through abrasive instrumentation while a healthy dose of psychedelic is churned through magnificent art rock elements and intense atmospheres.‘South of Sane’ kicks the mayhem off with the perfect tension building beat and spoken vocals. Soft guitars strum as the thrilling track builds and slowly creeps adding a warm trumpet into its swirling dark soundscape. Musically these guys create refined hair raising masterpieces with western-esque melodies mourning through rich rhythms and pining guitars. Through this EP  they showcase their ability to create stripped back wispy, mind melting acid soaked tunes shown brilliantly with ‘d0nkroom’. All these elements are twisted and entwined in euphoric dizzying bliss. ‘People With Energy’ rushes through on a heightened vibe of snappy beats, funky bass lines, jagged guitars and haunting synths. It’s danceable, groovy and filled with energy yet drenched in ominous vibes. Each track is crafted with the finest components to make it luscious, manic and thoroughly enjoyable. Their sound is unique to them and it is this band’s attention to detail and meticulous musicianship that makes these tracks so impressive. The grunge hued ‘Feeding The Stranger’ smears on that dark atmosphere thick. Rugged guitars crash and batter into the punchy drum assault while the vocals exclaim over this frenzied backdrop narrating about coughing blood, alcohol and vomiting.’Unearth’ closes the EP disguised, to start as a soft delicate number with a gentle beat and slow jam groovy bass line. The track builds becoming the mosh ready banger Cloakroom Q are pros at. Their braided rhythms keep a fluctuant foundation for everything to explode off. Cloakroom Q really give it their all for this beast of a track, constructing the verses perfectly to increase and tease the intensity of the fierce dynamite choruses. It’s a lengthy track, clocking in at 07:09 minutes but each and every minute is worth it. These guys blend the soothing and gentle tones seamlessly with the skull bashing heavy tones to lure you into a false sense of safe psychedelia before whacking you out of your dreamy daze with meaty gritty rock injections. It’s a magnificent end to the EP.

Cloakroom Q have created a wholly unique frenzied EP that grooves, whacks and soothes all at once rendering the listener captivated and craving for more.

‘Going For A Walk and I’m Not Coming Back’ is released on 31st October-  for more information

you can follow  Cloakroom Q on Facebook here  https://www.facebook.com/disappearlikethis/