EP Review: Pantomime

As winter sets in full draw upon us, the strange warmth and power of Superglacier’s eponymous release, Pantomime, does so as well.

Much like a bow at full draw, Pantomime takes its time to gain momentum, until releasing into a slew of soaring vocal lines and an emotional atmosphere layered with sparkling clean guitars.

Each song encapsulates and enthralls the listener, switching from high-energy rock to lo-fi beats in a way that feels organic and deserved, with an air of unpredictability and originality.

The opener, Trial By Fire, reminiscent of up-tempo Alternative music, brings about a solemn nature, only to quickly double back and up the ante, as the full band crescendos into an epic soundscape of beautifully engineered glory.

Next, we move on to Hang, a much softer and shoegaze-y entry, restarting the formula presented previously and driving the song with an earworm guitar lick, only broken up by equally beautiful piano melodies and side stick taps on the snare.

The third track, Blister – is appropriately named as the instrumental work becomes more aggressive, with moments of ease between parts of the song. and the ‘Pantomime motif’ from previous tracks leaks through the melodies and slower moments of the song. Blister is, however, the shortest track of the EP, which brings us into Michael’s Song, once again using the motif to evoke emotion and an almost nostalgic feeling. The much more charged vocals make this stand out as the more powerful song on the EP.

Finally, Gold, the last track on the EP, encompasses all the previous qualities of this release, culminating in a song which moves forward with an addictive groove and sparse guitar parts so as not to drown out the spine-tingling vocal work.

As the song draws to a close, we hear once again the Pantomime Motif as it cuts off, leaving the listener wanting more.

Overall, this is a beautiful, emotional, and powerful.
From front to back, we are taken on a journey, Adrift in time and space, through a cold world only warmed in post by this incredible release.