Pennsylvania’s ambitious Illinois are now entering the back half of their massive six EPs in six months effort with The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, Chapter 4. The first three Chapters each showcased a different, single side of The Land of Lincoln: Chapter 1 (QRO review) brought out their tech-heavy side, while Chapter 2 (QRO review) saw them go backwoods, and Chapter 3 (QRO review) put their heart on their sleeve. Chapter 4 semi-continues the sad song of Chapter 3, but throws in a great bit of Chapters 1 & 2 as well.
On their seven-song What the Hell Do I Know? EP (QRO review), Illinois stretched from sadness to white-boy hip-hop, and while they’ve continued to change, Chapter-to-Chapter, each EP has had to largely stick to one vein in its three songs. Chapter 4 seems to break that mold by staying with the sad ways of Chapter 3 on leadoff track “Missing Piece”. The grand heartbreak to “Missing” comes from a stripped piano, but choral vocals, making it remarkable and effective. EP finisher “Swimsuit” also brings the ache, similar to “Missing” (maybe a bit too similar), though with some more harmonic folk.
But in between, Chapter 4 stops the other pattern by varying up within the EP, thanks to “Big Country”. A great mix of beat and clank, singer/songwriter Chris Archibald’s (QRO interview) teched-out vocals are laid back but unusual. Archibald also jumps in on the fourth video from him and Los Angeles’ People-Food, the funny but also surprisingly touching story of a boy and fish, ‘Arch Goes To the Fish Store’:
Just as how they have kept the Chapters going, Illinois have kept their EP release parties going as well, hitting the East Coast each month, but March will find them heading west for South-by-Southwest in Austin and then even further west with friend Kenan Bell. The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, meanwhile, will get a full, deluxe edition release on May 5th. But currently, we’ve reached the sweet heart of the journey.
MP3 Stream: "Big Country"
- Ted Chase
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