Treeboy & Arc make a compelling statement on their first EP

Recorded during the lockdown, Life Preserver fuses classic post-punk sounds with modern pop-culture references (namely a shoutout to Bob Mortimer) to create something bursting with colour and obvious musical influences. What more could you want?

It has been over 40 years since Gang of Four’s debut album Entertainment! was released, and it’s evident that their influence on the post-punk music scene in Leeds has not faded. Treeboy & Arc embody Gang of Four with a modern twist; creating something interesting and timeless. This is not a bad thing. Moody, flamboyant vocals and lyricism are in abundance in all of the tracks on their debut EP. 

I hear the resemblance most prominently in the track Logistical Nightmare, through the clockwork guitar line and the primarily spoken vocals. The lyrics capture a sense of irritability and annoyance, an idea not often explored through music. Possibly what intrigues me most about the outfit is how they nurture relatively mundane human experiences and fashion them into riveting illustrations through handy-lyricism.

Role Models is on the more indie side of the EP — a way to ease your friends into Treeboy & Arc. Laden with a funky bassline and lighthearted, angsty lyricism, this track will be a guaranteed hit with whoever you play it for. The pop-culture references laced throughout created intrigue for me purely because they’re completely unexpected from a band with such a niche sound and, honestly, it’s really quite captivating. 

Another stand out track for me is In Dreams; a track that is on the more grunge end of the EP. You can truly tell this song was written in lockdown as it beautifully conveys the national sense of apathy and lassitude.

“It’s easier to lead a white bread existence / it’s easier to lead a life without conviction” — striking imagery of a passive existence in which the cynicism harks back to their main influence: the city of Leeds. 

Lastly, The Condor — where to begin? The EP hosts a whole range of sounds; in this track, we see a more gothic, dystopian image of the band. The rich bassline compliments the striking vocals in a way that lets the darkness of the track thrive, whilst still resonating with the different sounds on the rest of the EP.

Being cooped up in one place for too long forces you to notice things in your surroundings that weren’t apparent previously, and this certainly has allowed the outfit to experiment sonically.

Life Preserver nurtures a host of varied sounds — I don’t think I’ll ever be tired of hearing it. Whether you’re into some classic post-punk tunes or the more gothic end of the spectrum, there really is something for everyone on this EP.