Lights Out EP,
Short WarningThis lot are a young 3-piece hailing from just outside London who ply their trade with a perhaps predictable blend of melodic punk rock. The 4 track EP ‘Lights Out’ mixes parts from Lagwagon, NUFAN and maybe some 4ft Fingers to a quite positive effect – but hey, I’m a sucker for this kind of fast, catchy yet abrasive punk. The title track opens the EP with a meandering muted riff that turns into a Gash-esque chunky chord sequence which is impossible to dislike (unless you’re a Reuben fan) due to the fact that it adheres to all the common rules for melody. The vocals seem to have a penchant for putting an American accent on some words, but the change of pace mid-song is a neat trick executed well.
‘Breaking Even’ sounds like Lagwagon with more cymbals, but the chugging verse is unadventurous and somewhat mundane. Lucky then, that the chorus ties it all together with a catchy chord change before going into the now-mandatory breakdown. It seems that Short Warning follow the template perhaps too strictly because it’s obvious that they have both good ideas and tunes. Maybe some more faith in their own abilities in holding a song together without going to a instrumental, stripped down segment, or shouty hardcore vocals as demonstrated in the otherwise excellent ‘Apocalyptic Smile.’
It’s true to say that this release isn’t going to set the world alight, but that’s only because there’s not enough risks taken. ‘Usual Scenario’ does indeed rock hard with some funky bass interludes which nicely break up the more traditional punk riffing. And that’s maybe the problem with this release: when Short Warning try something a little different they shine, but those moments aren’t very often. On a side note, I’ve noticed that putting this EP on repeat makes for a superb accompaniment to smoking. Woo!
Ben
