Last year, Canadian two-piece Imaginary Cities, consisting of Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas, released their stunning debut album Temporary Resident. The band toured Australia at the tail-end of 2011 with Sparkadia and have recently released a three track, self-titled EP.
The EP is made up of two songs from ‘Temporary Resident’ - the slow starting ‘Say You’ which builds into a catchy, bass-driven pop affair; ‘Temporary Resident’ with it’s synth-infused pop rock and bonus track ‘Marry The Sea’ is an acoustic beauty. ‘Marry The Sea’ is the only track that is not from ‘Temporary Resident’ and this stripped-back, acoustic form (the original recording can easily be found on YouTube) allows you to appreciate both Sarbit and Matyas’ prowess as musicians.
This EP reinforces the talent that both Sarbit and Matyas possess as songwriters and the quality of work that they produce when working as Imaginary Cities. The EP shouldn’t be viewed as ‘best of’ their debut album but more as a demonstration of, in three tracks, the type of sound that they expand upon and explore in the other nine songs that make up ‘Temporary Resident’. Each of the three tracks shows that while their sound can easily be identified as Imaginary Cities, they can morph their style in a number of different ways to continually sound fresh.
For anyone looking for something fresh and haven’t had the pleasure of listening to the Imaginary Cities EP or ‘Temporary Resident’, be sure to give either or both a listen. This self-titled EP is a fantastic starting point and there’s more than just a slight chance you’ll fall in love with this band.
Review Score: 8.0 out of 10
