EP Review: Express Office Portico - ‘Incommunicado’
A fun and funky listen, with deeper meaning hidden beneath upbeat synth-pop sounds
If Everton FC Manager Sean Dyche is a fan of this band - he was caught watching them perform at last year’s Hockley Hustle - then there’s no excuse for you not to be on board, too. But if you are currently unfamiliar, then you are forgiven. After all, at the start of 2024, Express Office Portico only had a handful of singles to their name, with no official releases on streaming services since the summer of 2022.
That is, until now. Because, after this short wait, their debut EP ‘Incommunicado’ has today given fans five new songs to add to their playlists, doubling the size of the band’s discography. That is, if you don’t count the fact that three of the tracks - ‘No One’, ‘Are You Yourself?’, and ‘He Said She Said’ - were released as singles in the months leading up to the full project.
“The upbeat and funky sounds serve to mask the deeper context of these songs on the first listen”
Express Office Portico are often described as an indie synth-pop outfit, and while that statement isn’t incorrect by any means, it feels somewhat limiting, since it doesn’t really sell the unique edge they have. The comparisons that they frequently receive to Fleetwood Mac are by no means incorrect either - much like the red, retro telephone on the EP’s cover, the band have a vintage appeal to their sound, with a modern twist.
The five tracks cover similar themes of being unable to communicate with the world, complete with a title inspired by a Sylvia Plath poem which tackles the same topic. Detailing darker lyrical topics, from trauma to substance abuse, the upbeat and funky sounds serve to mask the deeper context of these songs on the first listen; it’s only after a few listens that the true meaning can be uncovered. The result of this is an EP which keeps you coming back for more, revealing new parts of itself with each listen.
“Much like the red, retro telephone on the EP’s cover, the band have a vintage appeal to their sound”
The journey ends with the previously mentioned single ‘Are You Yourself?’, where vocalist Tara comes to the conclusion, “I guess I’ve got some growing up to do.” A fitting conclusion, and a poignant look to the future - acknowledging that despite everything you have overcome so far, the journey is still ongoing, and there is always potential for growth to take place.
By Gemma Cockrell