ep review ~ 'dusk and dawn' ~ hurdles

Hurdles
For fans of⁞► Two Door Cinema Club, Chic, Peace
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The slick, infectious indie pop which first saw Hurdles slide into our stream of  consciousness back in 2012 has remained at the core of their sound, even if it has experienced a face-lift or two along the way. New EP 'Dusk & Dawn' has the look and feel of a band ready to take on the next stage of their musical careers.

Catchy opener (they always start strong!) 'Closer' offers a brief glimpse back into their more guitar centered past, before those Summer-night synth's get their first outing of the record. It's a carefully crafted sound, each layer more intricate than the last. When it all comes together, as it so often does throughout 'Dusk & Dawn', you begin to feel that this is the sound Hurdles have always been building towards. 

Those richly textured indie-pop riffs perhaps work best on the title track, sounding straight out of Bombay Bicycle Club's 'So Long, See You Tomorrow'. 'Wake' too, sounds smooth and natural, even with it's new found level of groove. 

Deliberate or not, 'Dusk & Dawn' feels like a chronological guide to Hurdles history, building to it's crescendo, the mammoth 'France'.  First debuted on the Oh Yeah Centre's 'Scratch My Progress' talent program/label, this dancey single has already notched up nearly 30,000 soundcloud plays, a remarkable amount for any young band. From the first listen 'France' remains firmly implanted in your head and trust us, it will stay there. It may not have the 'indie-upstart' charm of earlier singles  'Kaleidoscope', or 'Pictures', but it is clear that this is not quite the same band anymore.

A mature, confident release from a band still made for the festival circuit and long, hot Summers.

Taylor Johnson