In the most sincere kind way, Cinematic Views by Wexford’s Frankenstein Bolts is just a nice record. It’s not a spectacular exploration of the human condition or a technical behemoth that levels the playing field with its symphonic intricacies. No, Cinematic Views is simply a delightful serving of dreamy folk with electronic overtones, almost like a stripped back Oppenheimer or if Belle and Sebastian covered Zero 7. This, the duo’s debut EP, is comprised of four neatly formed pieces of gentle, soothing musical warmth. The opener, “Station Street” is mellowed slice of sweet, carefree pop; the kind of music that’s ideal for cycling on a warm sunny day, while “Ana Seeds”, with its quick tempo, is this jubilant little sunshine ditty with a perfectly judged flanged acoustic guitar and sweet memorable hook that you’ll mutter under your breath for days. This is the group’s first recorded outing however and it does show. The latter tracks on the album both suffer from the same problem of outstaying their welcome while not being distinct enough to distinguish. Neither are bad, but when placed side by side they add an unfortunate “but” to what is otherwise a complete treat of a release. Of the two ‘The Bay’ is the weaker. While it does have some wonderful imagery, it lacks anything as memorable as ‘500000 Balloon’s’ chorus and has a coldness that, although showcasing some diversity from the group, is ill-fitting with the breezier, warm-hearted nature of the release. Overall, though, it’s a euphonic nugget of folk pop music; an ideal candidate for the next three months listening. Will Murphy
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