Light’em Up

Sometimes Los Angeles is able to surprise us with an act that’s… well… pretty obvious. You’ll get bands that, for the most part, look and sound like they’ve been jamming out sensitive indie pop tracks over and over again, and it just WORKS. TORCHES is that band. Two dudes, Azad Cheikosman and Erik Fabbro seem like your typical young 20-somethings navigating through the odd and trivial beast that is the LA music scene, but their latest EP, Endlessly Repeating proves they know what they’re doing, they know what they want and there’s no question they’ll get it.

The four-song album starts with “Endlessly Repeating,” a youthful anthem backed by a strong, alt-pop beat. The tremelo guitar leading up to Cheikosman and Fabbro’s semi-angsty vocals is a little reminiscent of Tanline’s 2012 release, Mixed Emotions.

“The Freak” banks heavily on its tribal-esque percussion à la Local Natives. World beat works that much better with current pop music and when it’s done right, it hits that much harder. This song literally sounds like it could have been off of Gorilla Manor. That’s not to say TORCHES don’t give it their own sense of urgency and space. Every sound is accounted for, not leaving the listener to dwell– more so just to live in the moment.

“Staring” is where TORCHES, like many bands, admit they have a Talking Heads problem. Sometimes it awakens in the form of awkward “Psycho Killer” karaoke sessions or a thumping, hopeful track like this one.

“We’re Gone” builds up like a song by The National, a total fist-pumping, almost Boss-like anthem. Something tells me these guys will be remembered if a full-length sounds anything like Endlessly Repeating. Songs like these are usually cued just before the big rumble in your favorite indie comedy or when the nerds finally pranked the Greek Council by lining their condoms with habanero extract.

This EP is the example of would you could want in four songs: four-minutes each, catchy and sweet. Cheikosman sings, “If they remember who we are, tell’em we’re gone.” Something tells me this guys will be remembered if a full-length sounds anything like Endlessly Repeating.