automan channel 90s indie on grungey debut EP ‘Vegetables’
Saturated in melodic charm, the London band’s first EP captures the everyday drama of existing in the modern age.
Photo: Lily Doidge
A new wave of grunge has been seeping out of London’s underground indie scene recently thanks to rising artists Fräulein and Legss leading the way. But now, having just released their refreshingly modern debut EP Vegetables, London indie-rock quartet automan are beginning to situate themselves at the forefront of this resurrected scene.
With a classically influenced modern sound that worms its way into your brain and never truly leaves, Vegetables makes quite the impression with its diverse tracklist and introspective themes. Exploring the band’s creative struggles with imposter syndrome, and the pressures and identity crises caused by modern life, the EP features an intriguing amount of vulnerability and emotive contemplation, which pulls the listener in from the very start and encourages them to venture out with Automan on their spiralling introspective expedition.
Majestic opening track My Whole Life captures the slow-burn march of the quartet as they set off on this new quest, with feelings of liberation pushing their way to the fore as this almost cinematic track sets the scene for the deeper self-analysis that is to come.
Then, as the expedition truly begins, the sonic landscape changes, mimicking the different emotive aspects of automan’s self-reflection. Existing between the frustration of tormented grunge and the melancholy of shoegaze-pop, Peace channels both the panic and vulnerability of confronting a paranoid brain before going into Secret Mission Dream’s intimate, hazy exhaustion.
Despite sitting alongside these poignant and broad-reaching tracks, lead single Dizzy in the Head retains its grungy charm and dreamy feel on the EP. It remains a stand-out track with its groove-laden bass rhythm and scorching guitar riffs which leave a significant mark as the London band evocatively bring to life the panicked sonic world they were existing in during the record’s creation.
Yet, the final track Episode also stands out as one of Vegetables’ best songs thanks to its sinister sound and spiralling bridge. As a deliciously dark rock epic that brings a sense of chaos to the end of the expedition, the song not only channels 90s legends Elliot Smith and Pavement, alongside a chord progression that feels very Jeff Buckley but also allows the band (and the listener) to leave this tortured inner world behind. Bringing an end to automan’s introspective narrative in a way that feels like closure was achieved, even though the EP’s issues weren’t necessarily solved.
So, it’s safe to say automan have produced a panicked and sweeping debut that should really become a regular in everyone’s music rotation.