In this newly connected age, where the old institutions such as Rolling Stone and the NME are being usurped by the deadly immediacy of Stylus, Pitchfork, and the blogocracy, it doesn’t take much for a band to get its music heard and written about. If The Beatles emerged today, they might’ve been rejected by Decca once more, but not without a torrent of forum posts and blog entries decrying the move. Artists have always claimed that “It’s about the music, maaan” and 21st century technology has reinvigorated this timeless adage.

A demo can go a long way—just ask The Strokes, The Vines, Jet et al. A few roughly hewn numbers from the bedroom recording studio are enough to send the internet hype machine into overdrive and get besuited record company suitors in a tizzy. The jostling that goes on to sign the latest act, often on very little musical evidence, shows that we’ve definitely lost our sense of decorum.

It’s about fucking time too. Good music deserves to be heard. Even if the music isn’t quite there, any promising ideas need to be shared. Innovation is frustratingly rare.

New Estate are one such band aiming for the stars. They definitely don’t reach the stars and it is arguable whether they land somewhere else altogether. Nonetheless, their attempt is commendable. The results are a set of songs on EP, essentially a demo with very nice packaging. The songs were recorded on a four-track and it shows. Vocals are off-key and arrangements are ramshackle. This CD does not sound good.

At first, the wilful distortion of sound is jarring at best. At other times, the deliberate discordant vocals will be almost unbearable. The atmospheric opener “New Start” is particularly sabotaged, with the harmonies at times grating. As for the lower end, the mix is all over the shop: the drums have the presence of a Casio toy, whilst the swampy bass makes you think you’ve got something in your ear (and it ain’t sweet music).

However, amidst the tape hiss and loose performance, some genuine melodic ideas emerge. There’s a subversive spirit to what New Estate do—the tunes are there, it’s just that they’ve been obscured by a wall of Sonic Youth noise and an Exile on Main Street haze. “Defences Down” is all Jagger-esque drawl and narcotic influence. The grooves and power chords of “After It’s All Over” would ordinarily lead to uninspired guitar rock. Instead, New Estate tarnish the sound and unhinge the vocals.

New Estate are prepping their second album for release. I can only hope it sounds as bad as this demo.

[buy stuff here]