Pop-punk has long been considered a predominantly American genre since its rise to prominence with bands like Blink-182, Simple Plan, and New Found Glory in the late 90âs and early 2000âs. However, the past couple of years has seen a rise in popular British acts like Neck Deep and ROAM, who have carved their own path in the saturated scene. With the first month of 2016 behind us, Nottinghamâs Catch Fire is poised to make a statement with their impressive debut âThe Distance I Am From You.â
Opener âIntrospective Pt. 1â comes crashing through your headphones with its anthemic opening line of the as-per-usual issues of relationships, as Miles Kent begs the question âAre you as happy as you say you are?â The bandâs ability to create dynamic shifts between electric punk riffs and deliberate pop melodies showcases their aggressive approach to the genre, much like The Story So Far and A Day to Remember. âBad Behaviourâ and âAnaestheticâ demonstrate the quintets skill to produce adrenaline inducing numbers, with savvy guitar interplay between Neal Arkley and Tim Bell. Although both songs are at times commonplace in their lyrical content and double-time sections, the infectious harmonies are too sweet to ignore.
Just when you think the EP refuses to decelerate, âIntrospective Pt.2â offers an intimate end to the release. While the opening track discusses a stagnant relationship of ignorance and concealment, Kent comes to accept his fate in the final number. The combination of fluttering guitar lines and the harmonization of Kent and Arkleyâs vocals unveils the groups versatility. With the accumulation of speed and intensity, it seems odd that the groups ballad would finalize the release, but in reality, itâs an unimportant aesthetic detail.
As a whole, âThe Distance I Am From Youâ is a splendid debut that for the most part avoids the pitfalls that has plagued the genre for the last half decade. Complete with compelling performances, the release will certainly gain substantial attention, and rightfully so.