Melodic, fuzzed up, post-psych ballads.

You may have heard of Hunck back in early 2014, when they scored a mention from NME for their track Toy Trucks. Now nine months later, the London based trio (*correction four piece, sorry Alfie!) have their debut, seven track EP ready to demonstrate their seasoned shoegaze, dream rock style.

Across this EP, Hunck don’t confide themselves to one particular genre, rather a slew of influences pieced together so bizarrely, that an inaugurated fusion takes place. It’s not quite psychedelic. It’s not quite shoegaze. It’s not quite dream pop. Let’s just call it Hunck.

Within the opener Something Missing; the combination of dream pop and psychedelic elements is imminent, from the moment the glimmering synths meet the delicately performed vocals, similar to that of Pond’s Nick Allbrook. Across this four minute track, you’ll find nothing but a remorse for a lost past, coated in impervious 80’s teen film, slow dance rhythms.

Continuing through the EP, you’ll find that Toy Trucks separate itself from the gentle clarity of Something Missing, with charmingly misplaced reverbed fuzz. For a slow burner, reverb isn’t usually a corresponding feature. On Toy Trucks however, the reverb creates such an aspiring change to this frozen style, you can’t help but feel the essence of Violent Femmes’ Good Feeling within Toy Trucks. It’s effortlessly simplistic, with flashbacks into the beautiful past of indie ballads.

On the immediacy of Moerbeke, we find what’s missing from Something Missing. Energy. However the perpetuated burst of energy, (which is immediately reminiscent of early Editors), drifts in between energetic guitars and the shoegaze mist of Toy Trucks, which almost nullifies the dreamy, fuzzed up tones of the EP’s super ballad.

The largest change on Something Missing; disrupting the melodic tones of the EP’s ballad overhaul at the beginning, comes from the forty one seconds of In Mijn Kamer, and the quizzical closer Departures No.2. While the formulaic use of electronics can be found elsewhere on Something Missing, In Mijn Kamer, the synth effects are used profoundly. A purely unaltered arrangement, of nothing but popping, nostalgically futuristic (of 70/80’s film sci-fi), electronica. Then on the closer Departures No.2, string processions appear unquestioned, as if expected to make an appearance, with the occasional rise and ripple of dream pop’s soft tones.

Something Missing isn’t exactly an EP, more an amalgamation of ideas and genres fused together. But thank however you believe in that it was made. The fusion of around four recognisable genres isn’t unheard of, but Hunck manage to fuse all of their chosen styles, into one practised, attainable piece. So whether you want to:

• Reminisce about the classic indie ballads of the 80’s on Toy Trucks
• Leave the party to soon, only to find an even better party on Moerbeke
• Get nostalgic and weird to In Mijn Kamer

Something Missing is the perfect mix you need to ignore the onslaught of Christmas songs this month.

FYI, In Mijn Kamer, Departures No.2 and Les Amants Débutants (unmentioned) are all cassette exclusive tracks, so you’d best grab a copy before they go!

8.5