An almost unheard of name, A World Away’s recognition so far has come from their hometown of Milton Keynes or their sought after support slots with Mallory Knox and Young Guns. Although they have roots in the sound of popular British rock, the band’s sound isn’t as polished as their tour mates and their strength comes in the form of relentless guitars and one hell of a singing voice.
Singer Ollie Bennett has some pipes to be proud of. There’s definitely a bit of Jonny Craig about his vocals, lending themselves to a heavier but still melodic sound. From the start of ‘Wake Me Up’ there’s not a crack or strain to be heard, despite reaching for some impressive high notes. Watch out for that building introduction and the strong bassline right at the end, ideal bookends for the soaring song in between.
Trudging along, ‘Take Over The World’ is a far less exciting effort but with a simple structure and a guitar solo that lifts an otherwise dreary moment, it does its job as a good old fashioned rock song. An immediately more interesting intro opens ‘Unaligned’, followed by irregular rhythms, noisy layers of messy guitars, and frantic shout along moments.
‘Stride By Stride’ again shows off Bennett’s phenomenal range. The sort of assault on the ears that needs a couple of listens to really tune in to, once you’ve got it you’ll love it. With a quote from Terence McKenna included in ‘The Choice’ (he was an advocate for the use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants…) the band continue to push the boundaries of the music they’re making.
Is 7 songs an EP, or is it really a short album? ‘Wakening’s 90 seconds of an echoing voice and a deep house sound (yep, really) won’t be for everyone but bonus points for surprising us. Closer ‘Puppet’ is bouncy, raucous and has a massive pop chorus and, like Don Broco before them, they’re keeping their rock music fun and energetic.
KATHRYN BLACK