For a band that released a super debut EP, they ain’t half gone downhill. ‘Santi’ was like a sugar rush – initially pleasing but then brought you back to Earth with a thump – while ‘Fast Times…’ left no lasting impression whatsoever. They just seemed to lose that sparkle and lyrical wit that I enjoyed in them first time round and it’s never really re-surfaced. Until now. This EP, which I can only assume is a stop-gap until the next album, features a handful of new songs that certainly sound more like the original TAI than the ‘Fast Times…’ version. It’s less slick, there’s more focus on Bill Beckett’s vocals and everything just sounds better.
‘I’m Yours Tonight’ has a sweet hook and while I wouldn’t say this is The Academy Is‘ best work to date, it’s certainly a marked improvement on what they’ve served up previously. I’m not sure the band are as relevant, or indeed as big, as they were when they first broke on the scene and it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction this EP receives. I think they’ve been overtaken by a lot of other bands and they’re no longer as prominent in the FBR/Decaydance stable as some of the other bands who were in their shadows at the time of ‘Almost Here’.
‘Lost In Pacific Time’ does a good job of satisfying fans and hints at a return to form. It will take more than this to convince me the band are back for good, but it’s an improvement and that’s all you can ask for.