sad films is the alter-ego of Salfordian singer-songwriter Dan Lucas, with Exchange Pleasantries being the project’s brand spanking new EP. It’s actually the first EP sad films has ever released, making the wonderful songs on Exchange Pleasantries sound even more captivating to the ear. There are five amazing tracks here, each one designed to take you on a musical journey. Let’s dive in.
By Jane Howkins
The record opens up with Past Tense. It starts out slowly with some nice chords, before the jangly indie guitar licks appear, driving the song forward against the fast beat. The track has a wonderful uplifting quality, reminding me greatly of the indie music that became so popular in the 80s, but with a modern twist. My only slight issue is the vocals sound a bit quiet, but they’re still present enough here.
S.O.S. takes things in a slightly different direction, although the song still has something of an 80s sound, due to the pulsating synth and basslines on offer here. The main bassline throbs along in the forefront of the track as a set of quiet keyboard chords swirl in the background. Dan’s vocals are much more prominent on this song, resonating clearly in an emotional manner.
Piggy is different once again – this time, it’s a largely acoustic number, although there are some nice synthy melodies in the background. However, they’re never overused, ensuring the acoustic guitar and Dan’s vocals remain the focal point of the piece. It all makes for a lovely transition into the next half of the EP, showing some brilliant songwriting skills here.
Future Tense brings the energy back up again – it’s another indie rock banger, with more than a hint of rock and roll also thrown in for good measure. The guitars are loud from the start, simply oozing cool and a sense of attitude, drawing the listener in straight away. This might just be my favourite song on the entire EP!
The final track is Tokyo (Jet Lag Diary Entry #1), another stripped-down song with a slightly melancholic feel. A number of guitar melodies cross over each other as the music slowly builds up, with a faint bassline and percussion appearing in the background. The vocals are really passionate here, drifting along in a lovely way to round the EP out in style.
Exchange Pleasantries is a really well written record from sad films, showing an artist who can create music within a number of different genres. I can’t wait to hear what comes next!
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