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Review from Die Shellsuit! Die!

They’re called Extended Players for a reason I guess, and the term ‘EP’ has rarely been more appropriate than here because this is one is nearly 40 minutes long, albeit with almost ten minutes of silence before a hidden track at the end. Self-released on the label co-run with Cats And Cats And Cats, this is London-based Our Own Devices second EP and it deals in all the posts: -rock, -hardcore, -punk, and even post-metal on the two minutes of shimmering drone snuck in at the end of ‘Hate Will Make Us Powerful Lovers’. The doomy bass and screechy, scratching guitar and vocals that build up to ‘Lucky Needle’s’ excellent clattercore also have a metal quality, but there is still a suggestion of Cats’ sparkling euphoria. OOD are a genuinely experimental rock band, messing with time signatures, break downs, off-kilter arrangements, volume and speed on ‘Polecats’, while ‘Harridan’s Heart’ is a dysphoria of progressive emo, with its dark synth buzz, subdued guitar manglings and occasionally muffled vocals. The best song here, however, is ‘Falling Off Little Walls’. Propelled by a heavy bass synth (Think One Day As A Lion), it’s searing, compulsive jerky punk rock. The less direct songs are also worthy note. ‘Someone Else’s Blood’ is an exceptional post-rock mini-epic, like Sigur Rós but with proper singing and a drum machine, while the lengthy closing track is, the rest of ‘All Have Gone’, captivating almost throughout.

>Organ Review of 'All Have Gone'

Ah hell! ALBUM OF THE WEEK 4 - THE YEAR HAS STARTED WELL!

OUR OWN DEVICES – All Have Gone (Natural History) – We like this, you'll like it toooooo – a London band trying to be just a little different and a little less obvious about things. Nice looking CD as well, good looking artwork, feels like things are going to be good – artwork does matter. Our Own Devices are a five piece band, their sound is scratchy, edgy, a kind of vaguely post rock/post hardcore alternative indie sound, packed with light and shade, noise and restraint, the power of quite versus the need for angular spiky aggression and violent creativity. Our Own Devices aren't as easy to pin down as this lazy review would have you believe, we're dancing about buildings and admiring the structure once more – jagged musical architecture and jagged edges that aren't sure if they want to rip in to you or allow you to catch the beautiful light of Someone Else's Blood. This is a fine fine album, an album that's very now, very 2008 - and full of days of static and celebrations of the musical things going on right now – the creative cross pollination and the feeding off each other – of fine bands like Cats And Cats And Cats and Jarius and Mayors Of Miyazaki and Thumpermonkey Lives. Our Own Devices have made themselves a fine fine six track album, an album that challenges both you and them – an album that shudders, explodes, fights, points of uncertain strength and this is the season and they'll give you a reason. We like this. There's nothing like making a stand, nothing like making a point.

iTunes customer review

5 Stars - Brilliant!

This E.P is refreshingly different in a sea of manufacture pop - Played with a huge amount of heart and feeling, with giant guitar riffs and choruses, this really does make for an exciting and breathtaking listen. The lyrics actually mean something and also, in parts, the musicianship itself is outstanding. Overall, this is a breath of fresh air among all the manufactured, meaningless and heartless bands around, and it is encouraging to asee a band writing songs with so much passion.

Review for self-titled ep on www.rockfeedback.co.uk

London-based four piece Our Own Devices have been developing a reputation as a devastating live prospect and with this 3-tracker they now have fantastic recorded output to match. The band show remarkable range from the distorted shudderings of ‘Winter Tongue’ to the brooding introspection of ‘Little Bellamy’. Their appeal rests not only on the rewarding juxtaposition of explosive noise with subtle spaciousness, but also in the way each member makes an interesting, vital contribution to all of the songs. Kareem Taylor’s twisting, hypnotic guitar figures are brilliant throughout, working especially well on the dazed and drawn-out intro to ‘Long Live The King’. Rhys Baker’s vocals exude a didactic confidence whilst simultaneously carrying undertones of desperation and uncertainty. He also shows great knowledge of his own vocal strengths, alternating clipped staccato barks and dolefully elongated notes or combining with Taylor’s backing vocals for extra intensity. Adam Fitzwalter’s bass acts as melodic counterpoints to Taylor’s guitar lines, before seamlessly switching to more Shellac-esque, rhythmic work, and Dan Arrowsmith refuses to settle down into a straight beat, constantly shifting patterns to keep the listener guessing. Our Own Devices may have made their name on the strength of their loud, confrontational live performances, but they are swiftly broadening their horizons. Following recent dates in Eastern Europe with Jairus, their plans this year include an album release on the newly formed Natural History Records (which is co-run by the awesome Cats And Cats And Cats, no less) so expect to see much more from this bunch in 2007.

Rocksound review of 3-track demo

'Three Tracks recorded live that really sound quite unique in their musical delivery. Like a low-fi punk with some vocals courtesy of Rhys Baker who spits out his commentary with total conviction. Coming across as Million Dead playing Fugazi with Tribute To Nothing. There feels there is something lurking here that could grow into something special.'

Drat! live review

'You can't deny the intensity of their savage live show. Eschewing the previous bands intricacy in favour of dense noise blending Shellac's low end abrasion and Million Dead's bile spitting passion.'

Bugbear Bookings Descriptions

'Have absolutely no idea who this sounds like "It's metal but not as we know it". interesting stuff, straddles folk prog and at times hardcore, pretty intense but compelling. Take a spoonful of prog, then add a shovelful of metal and finally whisk in a basementful of hardcore, their own devices indeed! Singularly wonderful stuff'.

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