The Ex - 27 Passports [Ex Records]

Put on the circuit via their own Ex Records label is The Ex' most recent album "27 Passports", a ten track excursion that sees the band dive into another adventure with the opener "Soon All Cities" sporting both influences from tribal, african drumming, wall-of-sound production and Ska - a red ribbon that is to be found in several of the albums tracks although the band is well referring to their raw Punk roots in songs like "The Heart Conductor" or the well-hysterical "The Car Is My Guest" whilst providing extended, intense underground (No)Wave-references with the 7+ minutes spanning "New Blank Document" and interesting rhythm signatures in the short, yet complex female-fronted "Silent Waste" which caters a new angle on what  Funk can be for sure. With "Piecemeal" The Ex is serving a Spoken Word-infused soundtrack for an adventurous road movie, sporting a massive sing-a-long chorus, "Birth" weighs in a heavy, hypnotic, hippie era-reminiscing folksy vibe of sorts, "Footfall" is quite a dancefloor-smashing, thundering powerhouse of an instrumental (and slighty Psychedelic...) Rock tune. With "The Sitting Chins" we see the Dutch four piece get into what might be seen as Clash'esque territories before the final song "Four Billion Tulip Bulbs" is on a hard, but well playful and uplifting vibe, providing a proper ending for what is defo a well varied, entertaining album for sure. Not exclusively recommended to The Ex's hardcore fanbase only.

Album artwork on Instagram!