Artist: Buho
Release: Self-Titled (EP)
Release Date: Out Now
Buho are a Texas based trio of noise merchants who bring a lot of different genres to the table, but are more than just a sum of their influences. The first of the two tracks on offer, ‘Endless/Blur’ is the longer and arguably stronger of the pair. Starting off as slightly dissonant, distorted guitar, pacey, driving bass and drums drop in, before switching into a stop-start passage with very big, spacey guitar. The song alternates between these two modes before changing again, into a strangely up beat jangling guitar led riff backed up by some deep bass groove. When Brad Angotti’s vocals come into play, they are strangely distant in the mix, almost fighting against the intensity of the instrumentation. The track closes out with a somber, FX heavy guitar line with plenty of breathing space.
Second tune ‘Night Clinics’ is more immediate, kicking off with a driving guitar riff that is swiftly joined by bass and drums. Andrew Elizalde’s bass line is reminiscent of a slightly harder-edged Bloc Party, and although not as drastically different dynamics wise as the first track, there are still plenty of interesting textures and toying with structure here. The vocals are also a little more to the forefront, which makes for a slightly more well rounded mix. The outro is sudden and unexpected, and perhaps a shade or two anti climactic.
Overall, this is an enjoyable slice of experimentation. Although they aren’t doing anything hugely innovative, Buho have crafted two interesting, well textured tracks that are at times both intense and uplifting. It is a hint that will definitely leave you wanting a little more.
6/10
Reviewer – Jay Hampshire
