Review of The Floating Formation EP by AngryApe

Paul W

24th Jul 2004

As an unsigned band, OKJunior werent neglected in their share of media attention and along with being championed by XFM, 2004 saw the new-comers signed by the London-based Seldom Records, for their debut in the shape of the Floating Formation EP.

It's pretty evident from the beginning, that OKJunior are big fans of all things Beta Band. Except not in the usual sense of shuffly sampled beats and a penchant for woozy, pastoral acoustica - and some percussion thrown in for good measure. In a homage to the Scots four-piece, OKJunior instead head into a care-free, anything goes ethos but tread dangerously close on the verge of a Prog Rock nightmare.

The stoner, reverb-drenched guitar layers of the now defunct, but fellow Beta label-mates Orange Can, are also an obvious inspiration. Especially as each of the four songs serge indistinguishably, or as the title suggests, float dreamily into one another and drift unknowingly into unpredictable jams.

For a debut release, OKJunior show all the promise of a band who are going to go far. Their loose, untainted by current trends approach, is a stark contrast to the overtly bland and insignificant indie music the majors seem to insist on peddling. Definitely a worthwhile and sound investment and an exciting indication of things to come.

7/10