First Time have only been a band for 3 months, so to have a decent sounding demo out in that time is already an achievement. The Morpeth quartet have put out 'Our Reply To You' in a bid to get themselves gigs and I should think they'll do reasonably well in Northumberland because of it. But on the basis of this, I don't think they'll be burtsing out of the north just yet.
First Time play a brand of mid-paced emo/pop-punk which is as cliched as it sounds. It's not particularly original and not done that well, but there's enough promise here to suggest that the band could be on to something. The recording is tinny, but that's to be expected - but even listening through this it is still a feat for the band to get this far inside three months. The songs themselves have catchy enough melodies and the harmonies are all present and correct. It's all in time too, which although it sounds like such an obvious thing to say, you'll be amazed at the number of sloppy demos that we get sent.
'Am I The Only One?' plods along a bit, a big dollop of energy really wouldn't go amiss - not really a kick up the backside, more a firm push in the right direction. Maybe live the band feel less restrained, but on the basis of this song along, it's easy to note that First Time would benefit a great deal from having someone, or something, getting them to jump and throw themselves into what they do. Self-belief and confidence are marvellous things which all good bands must have - but I don't feel that this lot have any of that just yet. 'Our Reply To You' is again cliched in its subject matter, but the verses stretch the singer's vocal range, coming across like Eve 6 in places. It's certainly aimed at the mainstream, but if things are done well then that's not a crime. The lead guitar parts are well thought out, even if the drums aren't miked up too well. The most notable feature is the vocal meldody in the chorus, which shows that there is a real musical maturity here. It's a pity that 'Those Girls' has such a bad recording. It's extremely poor sounding and an even poorer song, ditching the good parts of their first two tracks and replacing them with tried and tested methods that can be heard every night in youth clubs across the country. Even despite that, the vocals are again strong, especially when matched up against the weak guitar riffs.
Not so much ones to keep an eye on, more ones to keep checking every three or four months. The progress they've made in such a short time bodes very well for the future. Having a vocalist who can hold a note and a lead guitarist who can clearly play will serve them well. All they need to do is nail down a sound and create a bit of energy and they may be able to forge a career on the pub circuit.
Paul
