Released on the 1st September, the 'Elmore Grove EP' is the latest music coming from the 8 piece collective live band, formed of; Tom Bootle, Joseph Kennedy, GC Caddy, Chris McGill, 'Sesh' Malony, Theo Matindale, Matthew Clements and wait for it... Andrew Wolstenholme make up Captive State (arguably, the names sound more like a football team than a group).

The 'Elmore Grove EP' is a fusion of sounds; guitars and strings gives a rather melancholy tone that continues throughout; it is no wonder that the EP is produced by Nick Franglen from Lemon Jelly. Captive State's music has been described as pycho-folk or indie rock, my advice would be to have a listen and then make up your own mind.

The starting track, 'Mona' is a good choice for opening the EP with it's steady beats and choppy guitars that instantly demands attention. The vocal work on this track is tight and definitely a strong point, however, the track is a tad bit repetitive as the name 'Mona' is now permanently etched in my memory... could that be a good thing?

Track 2, 'China White Doll', is the highlight of the EP. The first few bars of the track has slow horns that trick you into thinking that it will take you somewhere that it doesn't and as the signature guitar chops join the horns and the vocals begin, I am taken to a place that includes an open fire, an itchy blanket around my shoulders and some cool sea beeze.

The closing track 'Lost' is another one of my favourites. It is listed as being "...about 5 mins", so of course that made me want to time it, but I didn't. 'Lost' has more rockablitiy than the other tracks and Captive State continues to disrupt equilibriums and shatter comfort zones as 'Lost' moves from one sound to the next.

'Lost' begins in a manner not dissimilar than some of the other tracks on the 'Elmore Grove EP', then the track takes a 360 turn as the heavy drums kick in and the track reaches a crescendo which is then brought to a close with a removal of the drums as the horns enter once again and we get the closing chant "I feel alive, I feel alone and...I feel alive".

To watch the video for 'Mona', click on the following link; http://www.captivestate.net/Mona Video/captivestatemona.mov or check out their myspace page www.myspace.com/captivestatemusic to sample some music or for information on Captive State's upcoming gigs.