The genesis story is charmingly modern: two songwriters, adrift in their creative partnership, stumbling upon their missing third via BandMix—essentially Tinder for musos. Yet what Robert Melkumyan brought wasn't merely guitar prowess (though his soaring, emotive solos are undeniably the EP's sonic highlights), but the final piece of a creative puzzle that transforms promising ideas into fully realised songs.
"Check In" wears its influences proudly, yet never feels burdened by them. The yacht rock sophistication of Steely Dan mingles with Tears for Fears' emotional grandiosity, whilst contemporary touches from Honne and Half Alive prevent this from feeling like retro pastiche. It's a balancing act that could have collapsed under its own ambition, yet The Concierge navigate these waters with remarkable assurance for a debut.
Influenced by the sonic detail of Steely Dan, the emotional weight of Radiohead, and the polish of contemporary acts like Honne, the EP explores post-pandemic disconnection, social anxiety, and political absurdity with remarkable nuance. "Others Do" serves as the collection's emotional anchor—an anthem for the socially anxious that manages to address isolation without descending into therapy-speak banality. "We've all felt low in the past," the band explains, "and this anthem is an olive branch to everyone who hasn't felt comfortable leaving their home." The track's message—that small steps toward re-engagement can yield profound personal transformation—is delivered with genuine warmth rather than self-help platitudes.
"Movie" offers a grittier counterpoint, channeling political disillusionment through muscular arrangements and Melkumyan's explosive guitar work. The track captures our current moment's surreal quality—where political discourse feels so absurd it resembles fiction—whilst offering that technically accomplished yet emotionally resonant solo as "an attempt to be a clear voice in the chaos." Together, these standout tracks offer hopeful anthems for anyone struggling to re-engage with the world.
What's perhaps most impressive is how the band's DIY constraints became creative catalysts rather than limitations. Recording in spare rooms across London, they embraced electric drums and digital processing not as cheap substitutes but as legitimate artistic choices. The guitar work throughout demonstrates a refreshing commitment to texture over showboating—from the palm-muted funk of "Mad About You" to the ambient washes of "Yesterday's News," there's clear understanding that sonic character trumps flashy virtuosity.
The production choices reveal a band unafraid to experiment within their means. Unconventional objects serve as guitar slides, delay effects create atmospheric depth, and multiple layered tracks build genuine spatial complexity. It's bedroom pop in the truest sense—not the lo-fi aesthetic posturing of countless indie darlings, but genuine creativity flourishing within domestic constraints.
Thematically, "Check In" captures the strange liminal space of pandemic-era Britain with remarkable coherence. These songs emerged from isolation and uncertainty, yet they pulse with tentative optimism and genuine empathy for the human condition. There's political awareness here—that sense of living in increasingly polarised times—but it's tempered by personal introspection and authentic emotional intelligence.
The collaborative spirit that emerges from geographical separation—those 90-minute journeys across London to craft songs together—infuses the music with palpable shared purpose. This is clearly the work of three individuals who understand that meaningful collaboration requires both individual vision and collective compromise.
DIY to the core but never lacking ambition, The Concierge have crafted something that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary—music that works equally well as focused listening or background ambience, addressing real emotional concerns without sacrificing sonic sophistication.
Their upcoming War Child charity performance (with professional recording planned) suggests a band ready to translate bedroom intimacy into live power. The promised follow-up "Check-Out" suddenly feels like essential listening, and that's perhaps the highest praise one can offer a debut EP.
With shortened attention spans and playlist culture dominating the musical landscape, "Check In" makes a compelling case for the coherent artistic statement. It's proof that genuine creativity can flourish anywhere—even in spare rooms across London, carved out between day jobs and lengthy commutes. The Concierge are clearly just getting started, with their promised follow-up "Check-Out" already in the works. Their journey is one worth following, and on this evidence, they're poised to become something genuinely special.
The Concierge's "Check In" is available now via streaming platforms.