Having already had a whole host of support slots across the UK alongside some huge industry names, Kids in Glass Houses are already making a name for themselves nationwide. Playing beneath FFAF, Lostprophets, The Used, and Rise Against are just some of their recent accomplishments, and here they are with the ‘E-Pocalypse!’ EP to expose themselves to a wider audience. While it would be all too easy to write this band off as another Funeral or Lostprophets clone, upon listening to this E.P. they deserve to be given the chance to stand on their own ground and make their own name for themselves. Yes, they come from the Welsh Valleys. Yes, they can be categorised as part of the ’emo’ genre, and no, there isn’t anything here that hasn’t been done before. Kids in Glass Houses do what hundreds of other hopeful UK acts are doing at the moment, only they do it a damn sight better.
Kicking off the party is ‘Me, Me, Me’, an apparently biographical look at growing up in a small isolated town trying to break out of your mould and exceeding expectations. While the subject matter is by no means original (I’m pretty sure every time Ian Watkins introduces a song onstage he says it’s about growing up in a boring little town), musically it’s quite the little finger-snapper. The chorus will follow you around like a bad smell for the rest of your day, and the guitars have a bright, vibrant sound that brings a smile to your face.
By the time ‘Easy Tiger’ has caught you in its proverbial claws, it’s evident that Kids in Glass Houses have an ear for a tune. Seriously, how many bands can get away with a chorus of ‘Doo, do do, do do doo, doo’ these days? I am willing to put money on it being a massive radio hit within the coming months. ‘Raise Hell’ leads off with a bouncy guitar line that just makes you want to get up and boogy. Along with Historia, it doesn’t stray much further from the obviously comfortable territory of being catchy-as-impetigo, yet they are by no means sub-standard when compared to the first two tracks of the EP.
You’re either going to love Kids in Glasses Houses or you’re going to absolutely hate them. It’s easy enough to discard them on the hype they’ve already enjoyed, but if you’ve got an ear for a melody, enjoy fun music with a vocalist who is nowhere near as annoying as his rivals (either in terms of his voice or general personality), then you might find that Kids in Glass Houses are right up your street.
Andrew R