EP Review | Sisteray – ‘Sisteray Said’

Sisteray Prove Once Again They’re One of the Best Underground Bands Today

When a song begins with as epic drumming as this does, and face melting guitar riffs, I often think how on earth is this going to take off from this moment!? It’s surely not going to, but I was very very wrong.

I was overwhelmed with a punk rocker vocal and in your face lyrics. Can you imagine when this song gathers its deserved momentum, anything other than a crowd erupting at the very first bang of the drums? Cause I can’t.

The song has the feel of Empire, by Kasabian, and at moments it reminded me of Come On Feel The Noise by The Quiet Riot. What’s not to get ecstatic about? It’s a song for the people, the people who have had enough of certain individuals in an ever growing vain society. And the people want nothing better than having a record like this to express it!

So here it is guys. It’s a song I’d be in waiting for amongst that festival crowd, a song where I’d be encouraged to climb on the shoulders of a stranger, and absorb every single second of this new and pure rock anthem.

With that being said, the song ‘Rumour Mill’ had me fascinated by the intelligence of the lyrics, it’s punk rock poetry, yet you’re not quite realising you’re being hypnotised by a steady tempo on the drums, and occasional teasing guitar riffs. And then the song explodes, which had me throwing my head back and forward like a well seasoned heavy metal rocker.

Lyrically someone, somewhere, has done a lot of talking without thinking. And we all know of those people! The wordsmith behind this record has painted this picture in a rather genius way, and It’s honestly difficult to go back from the fun you’re having now.

Especially when the track ‘Algorithm Prison’ has more edge, it made me think are we all just playing by the rules? Accepting whats in front of us as normal? Like we are players in a real life version of the PC Game The Sims. Being controlled by a hierarchy, that we believe care?

It reminded me a lot of ‘Bring It On Down’ by oasis. It’s melodically banging and with those lyrics the track really had me buzzing! I thought maybe I was in for some breathing space when I heard ‘Sisteray Said’, but the utterly awesome happened again!

I’m well drunk on this EP at this point, but the opening bass just tipped me over the edge.

It was my flaming sambuca. I was a ‘Sisteray’ worshipper now. This song was just 2 and a half minutes of musical mayhem, and no matter how much you want to escape it you can’t.

This EP showed me how brilliantly skilled these musicians are and I cannot stress that enough, they’re different class. The writing with edge but bringing you honesty, adding fuel to the fire while taking you on that rollercoaster with them. This band are the real deal and I cannot wait to hear more.

Words by Captain Sound

EP Review | The Americas – ‘Guitar Music Is Dead’

The Americas Release a Stellar Debut EP with ‘Guitar Music Is Dead’

‘Guitar Music is Dead’ is the debut EP by West Midlands trio, Harry, Aaron and Alex. The Americas have had a busy year to say the least, gigging all over the country, recently performing at the fringe at the Tramlines festival in Sheffield.

I must admit, the band is very new to me, but the sound doesn’t feel that way at all. The sound is so nostalgic that the tracks seem to have years behind them. The short, six track EP packs a whole load of guitar in one place. The ring of the classic bluesy vocals are complemented by rock and country guitars while hats are surely tipped towards indie music, making you really question the Midland origin of the band.

This nostalgia is really alive in the sound, the six short tracks taking great influence from good old fashioned guitar music. The lead track, ‘Come on Out’ has a Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones drawl, down to the “Oh, Oh, Oh” in the background of the track. The vocals are also delivered beautifully Jagger-y in ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Home’ and ‘American Morning’, putting Jagger in a country situation with clever guitar and drum arrangements.

True, expected country rock is really explored in ‘Rosanna’, one of three tracks released before the EP. The production of the track is really intriguing, the tempo is particularly mellowed out, giving you a rather odd feeling while you listen. The song, before the guitar amplifies towards the end, is rather hypnotising, you may catch yourself feeling as if you’re in a Southern American bar surrounded by people in cowboy hats dancing around you.

The lyrics and their sentiment in the EP, although filled with guitar and drums, make for comfortable listening. Lyrically, the EP seems to encapsulate a certain extent of storytelling with pretty dreamy melodies. ‘Backyard Love Song’ comprises electric guitar and a steady drum beat, but begs deliverance by a raconteur. The track describes an uninspired life and relationship with the typical wish to get out of their town and regular life. Here, the story begs a familiarity and relationship with the listener, while also inspiring ambition in “Maybe I could get away/ across the country and stay…. It’s somewhere out there, of that I’m sure”. We can see this ambition in the shape of the EP and the number of gigs performed, as well as the quest to make sure guitar music is in fact not dead.

Perhaps the stand out track of the album is ‘Bad News’. This track strays from the remaining consensus of the EP. With a much faster deliverance and a heavier feel. Here, the vocals seem less bluesy and more snare like. This is more likely a rock track with indie roots, bringing a further dimension to the EP, maybe teasing other avenues they are willing to explore musically.

All in all, this EP was a surprising listen. I was not expecting such nostalgia in a new release, but this really is what makes The Americas stand out. The tongue in cheek title Guitar music is dead is definitely challenged in the EP, band member, Aaron explaining ‘Guitar music seems to die every year. Huge artists like Kasabian and the Gallagher brothers always claim to be the ‘last survivors’, maybe adding The Americas to the list.

This band is definitely one to watch!

Words by Robyn Hartley

Facebook: The Americas

Twitter: @TheAmericasYeah

Instagram: theamericasyeah

EP Review | Lady Bird – ‘Social Potions’

Lady Bird Provide us with Evidence of what a Great EP can do!

Before I start the review, some of you may know that this is EP was released back in February. However, it was such an outstanding piece of work it needed to be featured on the site – regardless to how late.

This was the first EP from Three Piece Punk Kent band Lady Bird, and it is a perfect example of what an EP is about. Over the course of the hard hitting release you get a real feel for what the band are, their feet are fully entrenched in their sound and throw it at you in full force.

‘Social Potions’ opens up the EP and it throws you straight in at the deep end with a quick feet moving riff and vocals charging towards you. The track is catchy, like most of the EP, and is packed with slick lines that are easily stuck in your head, “I’m not a suicide bomber/
But the effects of this bomb could look like suicide”

‘Spoons’ is the track which follows and is possibly the best on the EP, as the band paint a perfect picture of a Wetherspoons in England for the typical bloke. It’s so well done as it grabs the experience with a reality chokehold and shows you point blank. The video which goes with the song has a classic British gritty vibe aswell.

Their style is not too dissimilar from that of Slaves or IDLES, with the blunt lyrics and swagger. However they are very much their own band, as they have a completely different sound with the prominent sound of the bass. ‘Leave Me Alone’ follows suit as the band continue to bang you over the head with their punky sound. The closer ‘Baby’ is longer than the previous songs, due to the stunning outro which leaves a bell ringing in your ear and Lady Bird on the tip of your brain.

This EP is one of the best examples of how to use a release like this, especially a debut. They used it to showcase their sound, no filler, just four songs which summed the band up leaving you wanting to hear more. Lady Bird are definitely a band to keep your eye on, especially after listening to this EP.

Words by Alex Wise

EP Review | King Krab – ‘Hard Tide’

Birmingham Band King Krab Release New EP ‘Hard Tide’

It’s always nice to be covering a local band every once in a while, this time around it’s old School Rock Band King Krab with their new EP ‘Hard Tide’. With the band taking influences from a number of bands including Pearl Jam, AC/DC and Black Sabbath, you can take a clever guess at what that might be, and you’d be right. King Krab have a very heavy rock sound, with quick, over driven riffs going head to head with energy fueled drums.

You get a taste for the band straight from the off, when you hear the whirring guitar building up steam in the background being met by those thunderous drums. ‘Couldn’t’ is an ideal EP opener purely because the energy and the lyrics exclaiming that they’re excited, it very much feels like an opener.

The EP rolls through a forest of chaos as the band don’t let you rest with the following tracks ‘Dengue’ and ‘Beat The Rat’ launching an attack on peace and quiet. The drum and guitar work on this EP is flawless and these tracks are where it’s highlighted the most. From the solos, to the neat work behind the vocals you can hear that they’ve left no room for compromise in the songs.

The final track is a personal favourite of mine off the EP, the tunnel contained drums along with the layers of guitar is impressive. ‘Bleed Us’, offers a slightly different side to King Krab as they slow it down slightly giving more room for the song to breath and the listener to connect with the vocals. This also has to be some of the best vocals on the EP, as they’re very isolated at times but manage to stand alone quite well. Worth a listen.

Whether you like or don’t like their genre of music, you have to appreciate how talented these musicians are. Throughout the EP they’re playing to a level that only some people could hope to reach some day, and every song is a constant reminder of that. The band still have a lot to offer, as they clearly show on the EP that they haven’t run out of steam yet as they looks to close out the year with even more shows. Now with the EP released, you can guarantee the band will be flaunting each track any chance they get.

Words By Alex Wise

EP Review | Yonaka – ‘Teach Me To Fight’

Yonaka dominate further on their New EP ‘Teach Me To Fight‘

The latest offering from rebel-rousers Yonaka is a suitably rocking call to arms hopefully setting the tone for a debut album.

2018 has so far been a huge year for Yonaka; numerous high-profile festival dates and support slots have seen them rise as it was predicted they would. But rising means nothing without songs to stoke passion in people and get them ready to join you on your quest to conquer music. This is where Yonaka’s latest E.P Teach Me To Fight comes in; four songs of punchy and dark pop music with some of the signature crunching guitars that have made them so popular.

Opening track ‘Fired Up’ is about being frustrated and starts with Theresa and the gang a bit more minimal than usual and is similar to their more ballad-like tracks ‘Heavy’. It’s immediately apparent that synths are due to take a more prominent role in the next phase of the band’s evolution and while it’s a departure from their harder more garage-y roots the big scale of sound that Yonaka are great at is still prevalent, and as a set-up track Fired Up is pretty faultless – It definitely gets you fired up to hear more.

Second track ‘Waves’ is back into more familiar Yonaka territory; noisy and kickass with that guttural sound that guitarist George has commandeered and which compliments Theresa’s vocals so perfectly. Like their previous single ‘Ignorance’ the chorus provides Theresa with a means of displaying her vocal prowess and it doesn’t take more than two plays to get this one stuck in your head.

It is, however, title track ‘Teach Me To Fight‘ that packs the biggest punch and is the most triumphant. The opening riff straightaway marks this out as a certifiably enjoyable track, and the two-fingers up at the world attitude that Yonaka have long exuberated comes to the forefront. What I felt opening track Fired Up was missing this song has in spades. Yonaka have never been ones to mince their words but this tune leaves me wondering if the “explicit” warning is to do with the language used in the song or the feelings it causes inside of me: The chorus rocks hard and you can see many an adrenaline and Yonaka fuelled moshpit in your mind’s eye when you hear it.

Final track ‘Wish You Were Somebody’ keeps that high with a very No Doubt twist on the guitars and verses. As a longtime fan of Yonaka who somehow hasn’t managed to catch one of their festival slots yet I’m extremely excited to hear these last two tracks live and get the real measure of them – Theresa and the gang are always on top form and their releases have yet to disappoint but I know that live these songs will really shine.

Words by Oscar Rees

4/5

EP Review | I See Rivers – ‘Play It Cool’

I See Rivers deliver on their Second EP ‘Play It Cool’

Ever since finding out about I See Rivers I was fascinated with their style of music and the wonderous ways they used their vocal harmonies. Last year the band took on the 10 Questions, and they really showed their personality along with their eclectic music taste!

Fast forward a year and the band have released their second EP Play It Cool which I was highly anticipating after the release of ‘I Don’t Know’. It turns out the anticipation was justified as the band delivered on all fronts.

The EP has 4 tranquil tracks filled with blissful vocals and complete wonder, something you can truly relax to. The opening track is the title track ‘Play It Cool’ setting up the EP perfectly, with dainty guitars and flawless harmonies. The uplifting sound of the song really finds a home in the summer, as it as welcoming as a cool breeze on hot day.

‘T Think I Like You’ is a another great song due to the different elements the band bring into the track, with the finger snaps along with the high tone guitar. It’s a lot more snappier than the other tracks on the EP, making it really stand out. Following that you have the bright ‘I Don’t Know’ which just aches of of not knowing where you’re meant to be, and they bottle that feeling perfectly within this song. This makes the song easily relatable as we’ve all had times where you don’t know where you’re supposed to be or what you’re meant to be doing in life, giving it an honest raw human touch.

To end the EP you have ‘Give Up’ which is an ideal closer as it has a darker and slower edge to it, as they sing you a tale of an ending relationship. Once again the harmonies really dominate this track and leave you with a great lasting impression on the band.

I See Rivers have quickly become one of those bands I constantly go out of my way to see what they’re doing, and it’s because of their sheer consistency they have when it comes to writing music. Highly recommend this EP to anybody because it has that quality – they don’t tie themselves down to a certain genre, it’s a likeable EP.

Looking forward to see what the band gets up to at the back end of this year, but you know for certain they will be busy! Honestly one of the most enjoyable acts out there at the moment.

Words by Alex Wise @AJWise

EP Review: Chasing Deer – ‘Moving On’

Self-described pop-rock band Chasing Deer have been working hard on their follow up EP Moving On after the success of their debut, Rewriting History. The three-piece are always gigging in and around the London area developing their own unique sound which is somewhere between pop band Lawson and acoustic wonders Boyce Avenue. The new record holds four tracks and we have been lucky enough to receive a copy early, so here are our thoughts.

The EP is pakced with your fill of catchy, sing-a-along songs, capturing their main audience perfectly. As regular buskers and wedding performers they have developed a sound so distinctive that you feel as though they are singing in the room with you, directly to you.

The first song holds the same name as the title and carries an air of hope and fulfilment. It’s bouncy, it’s catchy and it’s one of those songs that just makes you smile. The high notes are hit perfectly and it’s the kind of track that will be playing in your head for hours, but we promise – you won’t tire of hearing it.

After a strong start we are introduced to a song so different to the first it’s almost a risk. Second track The Simple Life is a keyboard led, mellow song where the lyrics bring a chilling sense of home to the listener as it demands our full attention. Risk or not, I’m fond of this song as it really shows off the strength of lead singer, Rob’s vocals and they haven’t lost their core importance of making it catchy. There’s an underlying 80s vibe to this one which is something that continues into the next song, Cover of the Shade. These two songs follow on from each other seamlessly and this shady title mirrors the theme of the track, making it a firm favourite. It’s one that wouldn’t be out of place in the background of a movie. The chilling vocals repeat the words “he’s going to track you down” the whole way through which gives the song the power it needs to be a stand out song.

So soon, we find ourselves at the finale which opens with a wonderful glissando on the keys before introducing this incredible old-school dance song. It’s the perfect family song, right from the very first listen you can picture people getting up and dancing at a wedding reception or a birthday party. It’s a wonderful end to the EP and will leave you wanting to listen to it again and again.

It’s a massive contrast to their first EP and is definitely a lot lighter, focusing more on the pop aspects than the rock – but don’t confuse that with your average chart music because there’s nothing like it out there. The definite finish of the last key played in the final song symbolises a job well done. It’s available for pre-order now and is officially out on the 19th May so do yourself a favour and grab a copy.

https://www.chasingdeer-official.com/store

Words by Louise Tindall @louisetindallx

The Assist – ‘Trouble’ EP Review

After years building their fan base and touring all over the place, The Assist have finally released their debut EP Trouble, and after the teaser tracks of ‘Nyabinghi’ and ‘Things Get Good’ the EP looks more promising. So does it live up to the hype?

The EP kicks off with upbeat pop song entitled ‘Love’; with its storytelling lyrics they paint a picture throughout the song. The quick funky stabs of the guitar gives the song a hint of a psychedelic edge and the band manage to pull this off well at does not sound like a weak attempt. The clever use of the synth gives the song some good texture, making it a lot less one dimensional as it serves perfectly well as the opener to the EP.

‘Fashion’, ‘Nyabinghi’ and ‘Things Get Good’ provide the bulk of the EP, and they all punch well above average, as they all have their own melody and style as the band refuse to rely on the same old structures and status-quo of most songs. ‘Fashion’ offers this dreamy guitar and softer vocals before it turns into a massive rave as the pace picks up, whereas ‘Nyabinghi’ offers a more ska sound with the quick upstrokes of the guitar, yet it still has the dark undertone when it drops into the chorus. ‘Things Get Good’ completely steps away from the previous songs with its dance beat drums, and simple yet catchy guitar riff which Ryan Stanton manages to do on several occasions.

‘Time’ wraps the whole EP up and it does so in exquisite fashion, as the band has their fingers is several pies as they embrace the word alternative. With a bouncy pop synth lying beneath some intriguing vocals provided by Mikey Stanton, it quickly turns into a much heavier song as the guitar crashes in and the song receives a completely different feel. This is possibly the best song on the EP, as well as being the catchiest, it also has the most versatility as they change the pace, sound and feel throughout and they champion it every time.

This EP is a simply just a bundle of fun which you cannot really get bored of because the songs are just so interesting and catchy. The Assist had a clear goal with this, and that was to be different and enjoyable and they achieved it easily. The guys have found their own style and sound in such a short space of time, so hopefully they will continue with this and push to make more of this music.

8/10

Words By Alex Wise @al4563

The Sea The Sea – Suba Rosa EP Review

Dreampop is risky business. You could record your album in a garage and hope it works, your music could get boring after 5 songs into your album, you could even shower your project with so much reverb it’d give the listener a headache. But mix solitary dreampop with post punk, along with influences of lucid dreaming, Roald Dahl, and a band who made possibly the most heart wrenching concept album of all time; well you’re onto something there, aren’t you?

I honestly can’t remember the last time the opening track of a project got me as hooked as The Sea The Sea’s has. The sweet leads and (furious/lonely/depressing/everything I could ever hope for in a voice) baritone are pinnacle highlights for Sub Rosa. But these vital elements compliment each other throughout the whole EP. Don’t ever think The Sea The Sea only pull off their shit for a single or two, oh no…they know what they’re doing. They know exactly what they’re doing. ‘These Shadows’ boasts relentless amounts of jangle-pop, a gorgeous melody…it’s a wonder why Captured Tracks haven’t got their hands on these guys yet. Layered, well planned, well played, with the cleanest production holding hands with that dirty bass in the verse – a brilliant start.

Track 2 ‘System Sleep‘ is also pretty special. The vocalist completely submits to confession after an emotional enough verse to belt out “and this is my soul shaking.” Repeated over and over again. Reminiscent of The XX all over the place, a bit of folk music here and there; despite the change in pace to the previous song it’s still quite lovely. The (mostly) inevitable decline of the EP comes at the next track. There just seems to be a loss in spark on ‘What Came Before’. The majority of the song is quite cheesy, the chorus doesn’t shout anything interesting, in fact I’d go as far as saying it sounds like a hymn. That’s not to say there aren’t great parts to this song, though. The actual climax of the song does drive it somewhat forward, and the verse is awfully catchy.

Sub Rosa ends with the fitting name of ‘Anemone’. Starting soft and quiet, and ending louder, harder, angrier; reminds me of Interpol’s The New. Contrary to The New though, ‘Anemone’ has no awe inspiring bass line, in fact a very minimal bassline. And with a song that should create a thunderous end to such a stellar EP, ‘Anemone’ feels somewhat half baked without the noticeable bass and deep element to the song. The closer is built up by light cymbal crashes, solos, and reverb that makes me shiver. Vocalist whispers about the oddness and eventual explosive end to relationships, “at least if we were still passionate, we could be deafened by heartbeats”, which then actually leads to him replicating that same explosive end with his voice. Bitter and emotional, but somewhat truthful.

If I had any more negative points to say about The Sea The Sea’s Sub Rosa, it’d only be the slightly off pitch vocals, and the strange falsetto vocals in between the thunderous baritone. But really, The Sea The Sea have made something very special here indeed. The production is so clean and these lads know what they’re doing to point. Almost miraculously, reverb isn’t overused but neither does it sound out of place. They’re tight, succinct, clever, and just really fucking emotional. The mood is melancholy, the singing is melancholy, the lyrics are melancholy, but if melancholy sounds this beautiful, give it to me everyday.

7/10

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Words by Saagar Kaushik

@bhench0d

Little Brother Eli – Little Brother Eli EP

You’d think with The Strypes hitting the scene there’d be a tsunami of rock and roll, and blues rock bands buzzing all over the place. Woodstock would be relived, rockstars would set their guitars on fire again and we’d start taking tabs whilst listening to Hendr…Well yeah that does seem a bit far fetched. But despite The Strypes’ recent (and possibly given to them on a silver platter for singing pretentious songs) success, there’s been a serious lack of blues bands, especially the more mature ones. If you really did want something interesting and current though, you’d find yourself all over the internet and end up at Little Brother Eli’s EP.

EP opener Animal Fair has the classic blues opener of the singer crooning with impeccable power, leading to the the fuzz of the guitar charging through the song. The riff is pretty catchy too, but the production of an unsigned band becomes quite evident here with the fuzz occasionally overwhelming the whole song, and the screeches of the guitar making me wince. The breakdown doesn’t do much to the song except propel the following solo. And oh man, does this make the song, I just wish it was longer.

From their website, Soundcloud tags, and Facebook page, Little Brother Eli make a point to tell the world their hip-hop influence. It’s not too explicit, in fact the subtlety of it is really refreshing. A lovely fusion of blues, rock and hip-hop, without sounding like Nu-Metal? Yeah I can live with that. I get a hint of Justin Timberlake in track two Awkward Positions, and who wouldn’t love that? The song flows along with a jazzy drum beat, warbling chords, and a lead that’d remind anyone of the most tempting femme fetal. There’s something special about the singer of this band, his vocal range is pretty wide and he could easily go absolutely massive with his delivery.

The EP closer When She Sings, though is the special one. The soft, feel good, reminiscent of Little Joy album closer that could soundtrack any love story. The vocals in this are just beautiful while the singer fluctuates the melody so modestly. And just for the hell of it what do Little Brother Eli do? Incorporate some ska-type guitar work to give it even more of a dance-y mood. As the song gets heavier to add more depth in places, the melody just makes it all the more sweeter when at the same time backing vocals bless the track. Ending back on the classic acoustic guitar, well, it’s almost too good to be true isn’t it?

Little Brother Eli love their classics, and this first EP bleeds classics. It’s likeable, fun to listen to, and really catchy in some places too. Although at times production is a bit rusty, and the songwriting seem a bit immature, the substance is there nonetheless. I can only see them developing into a band that’ll define their sound later on to form something very great indeed.