Piece by Piece from London dark pop/electronica/dubstep/trip hop trio Charleston is rather astonishing: a debut single that feels fully formed, and demonstrates expertise and confidence rather than simply rough potential. Their sound is nocturnal and brooding, easily evoking comparisons with that of The xx, but there is more going on here than in the sparse, intimate compositions of Jamie Smith & co.
The sounds are multi-layered and often surprising: tribal beats, haunting vocals and eerie synths combine with bleeps and blips to create a song Tricky might make for Alison Goldfrapp with the help of Aaron Jerome. At midnight. On Halloween. Importantly, there’s a pop sensibility on show here, with an effective hook which you wouldn’t find in many songs of this genre (or many of mainstream pop, for that matter).
The trio cite Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allen Poe and Virginia Woolf as influences, and claim the track is about ‘regressing to a primal state’. Don’t be discouraged by the pretentiousness, this is a good tune.
Words by Trahearne Falvey
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