There’s a very American feel to Page 44‘s latest four-tracker. I got the impression the Redditch-based band were heavily influenced by that contemporary emo/pop-punk sound, perhaps with an English tint, a bit like My Awesome Compilation. Despite being relatively unknown, to me at least, the band have featured on Popworld and came second in the Emergenza UK National Final, playing in front of 1,200 people at the Mean Fiddler in the process.
Despite this, this EP is a little generic and while performed well, doesn’t really stand out from the pack all that much. The band do their thing pretty well, it has to be said, but it’s just not that inspiring. ‘The Grey Room’ trudges along without the huge hook it probably needs, while the vocals are a little sappy and not really as distinctive as they should be. Page 44 aren’t a bad band, they just don’t stand out from the pack enough for me to get excited about.