Ugly – ‘Twice Around The Sun’ EP review: ambitious six-piece enter a brave new world

28 March, 2024

Ugly

Ugly frontman Sam Goater will be the first to admit their journey has had its share of twists and turns. Having started life eight years ago as a jangly guitar project with himself as the sole writer, the Cambridge band’s evolution has seen them overcome the pandemic, a hiatus, a complete line-up overhaul and, most importantly, a big step away from their spiky rock roots.

The British guitar landscape has changed since their inception as well. The success of their recent touring pals Black Country, New Road has often felt like a calling card for new names to push forth and get weird with their sound in a post-pandemic world. Having decamped to a south-east London studio to work on their debut EP, ‘Twice Around The Sun’, it’s clear that Ugly are throwing themselves headfirst into making a universe of their very own.

It doesn’t take long for these new beginnings to show a willingness to let loose, made clear in a manic acapella moment that kicks off the EP and brings to mind the dystopian horror of Midsommar. As a myriad of four vocals spiral through the song, you’re left wondering whether to dance or scramble for the nearest packet of paracetamol – but it’s not long before the voices give way to a more rewarding jam with spritely Everything Everything-like vocal lines.

The more intimate moments are where this ‘Twice Around The Sun’ really shows its potential, though. ‘Sha’ comes as a meditative folky ballad that evokes the warmth and intimacy of Big Thief or Kurt Vile as Jasmine Miller-Sauchella takes the lead on the EP’s only track under five minutes. The melancholic ‘I’m Glad You’re Here’ evokes a similar sense of comfort as Goater drops a deadpan delivery over a soothing acoustic guitar: “Just another day in heaven / It’s a paradise of pocket-knives and lucky number sevens.”

The group sound at their most energised on the explosive curveball, ‘Shepherd’s Carol’, which changes the pace as a shapeshifting art-rock adventure. There’s a hell of a lot going on as the track weaves its way to a climax with yelps of surrealist lyricism: “Four-wheel drive, four-wheel drive / Tilled a lot of sand, but I can still see fields.”

Given it’s been eight years in the making, it’s perhaps no wonder there’s a hell of a lot of ideas crammed into this debut EP. ‘Twice Around The Sun’ is an altogether dizzying experience, but when Ugly allow for breathing space amid the chaotic palette, there’s a beguiling beauty to be found.