Portugal

As for today (11 December 2015) An Autumn for Crippled Children (AAfCC from now on) has already finished their labour for this year, consisting of a full-length and the present EP, a tradition they've held since 2012. Portugal consists of two songs, the title track and Seasons Change Spirits, both not getting anywhere beyond the five-minute mark and thus giving the album a total span of less than eleven minutes, yet again keeping the tradition they have established on their similar works.

Although I have only followed the band since their third full-length, the magnificent Only the Ocean Knows, I can hold the fact that this EP did not best what the band had to offer on their first EP, Hearts of Light | Blossoms, fortunately, it stands on a higher place that their 2014 quota, Try Not to Love Everything You Destroy. The reason behind this last statement it's clear within just the first seconds of the first song, but it's self-explanatory through the rest of the album: the sound it's a whole lot stronger.

This sound that I have mentioned, it's achieved by simple standards: audible and canny bass lines fill almost every second of both songs, beautifully distorted guitars that pack the leads and the rhythms that fit between themselves just perfectly and (finally) the synths from which this band its acclaimed for, a characteristic that clearly wandered into the 2013-period and lost during 2014. With that said I think I'm just missing two things, both vocals and drums, but lads, it's just another AAfCC record you know what to expect, if not, let me tell you briefly: drums just behind the rhythm with nothing unexpected and just your regular over-distorted vocals, and that's what keeps the album itself back from the 100% or even the 90%, imagination.

Regardless of the fact that they broke the sound presented this year with The Long Godbye, AAfCC have achieved what in my opinion it's a very consistent release. To my surprise this was a very good EP, a return to the roots left behind in 2012 and a revival of the sound that really works for them, I really don't understand the title of both track and the album itself (this reminds me of a bleaker place than Portugal), but well, that's discretion of the band.