As introductory stabs go, Bleed – from Exeter’s Soot Sprite – makes quite the mark. Elise Cook’s vocal consumes much of the limelight, flitting back and forth between multilayered Dolores O’Riordan diaphaneity, Lindsey Jordan’s singular impetuosity and Juanita Stein at her crepuscular best, but across the best part of five minutes, she, Ross Becker and Matt Tiller combine to create an incredible musical backdrop. Hemmed with spectral elements, it too transmutes almost mercurially from gossamery to muscular, always allowing Cook’s lyrical sangfroid (“Softly spoken, but with such a sharp tongue you’re gonna hurt someone” she’ll calmly, collectedly iterate come every chorus) to cut through with keen intent. Blistering stuff from the Southwest.
Bleed is lifted from Soot Sprite’s forthcoming Sharp Tongue EP, which is available from October 11th via Specialist Subject Records.