Drunken Palms’ debut EP, Later, was a long time coming. Katelyn Mundal (vocals/bass) and Mac Pogue (drums) formed the band in 2014, and added Alex Hebler on guitar/backing vocals a year later. They performed as a three-piece until Pogue moved out of state in 2016. Now Mundal handles the beats, and Hebler adds sparse but emphatic guitar tones. Later is a beautiful culmination of re-recorded demos, new songs, and even a cover of U2’s “With or Without You.”
Despite the fact that Later was recorded without a drummer, it’s Drunken Palms’ fullest, most dynamic work to date. Its melodies are built from drum machine beats, loops, synth, and Cocteau Twins-esque vocals that sound ghostly, like they’re echoing off the pews of an empty cathedral. The EP begins with the bright, airy “Loop 5 (Now We Can Speak Louder).” Mundal sings, “Let the right ones in, let me feed from their fires,” and Hebler responds with a gentle guitar riff as the synth loop softens to a whisper without fully snuffing out.
