This is a three-track demo from the post-hardcore foursome Toy, in the familiar vein of bands like FFAF and perhaps the lighter parts of Thrice. Oh good. But it’s not that bad at all – in fact it‘s a pretty good calling-card as far as demos go. The sound is a lot better than most demos, which can only be a good thing, especially with the expansive sound that Toy are aiming at.
‘Prayer For Summer’ starts things off, with a somewhat predictable vocal line and chugging guitars subtitling the singing. From what I can tell the lyrics do tend to err on the side of pretentiousness, and to be honest this track is nothing special in my opinion, simply because it seems so derivative. And I know someone’s going to slate me for not liking this kind of music but this really does seem ripped off any of the dozen or so bands currently plying their trade on MTV2. Having said that, it takes a turn for the better later on in the song when more ideas are employed to worthy effect, moving away from the recognisable trademarks of the genre.
The middle track goes by the name of ‘Silence’ and is certainly much better. It moves away from the template quiet-loud, sing-scream, and moves to a more Rival Schools meets Midtown type sound, more reliant on solid guitar lines rather than sharp riffs. Obviously I’m a pussy because I do enjoy a good chunk of melody in my songs, and that’s what Toy do, drop in a really big-sounding finale to the song that really does elevate it. It’s promising stuff, even if at times you do sense that they’re playing catch-up with the bands who’ve got there first, without taking the time to develop their own style.
The EP is finished off by ‘Month of Sundays’, a euphoric riff-laden song that is bolstered by the rolling drums that act as a solid backbone for the vocals that move from impassioned to seething and back again. This is perhaps the most interesting track on the EP because it shows Toy taking a couple more risks than usual, with a slower, more reflective section unfortunately dissolving into a quite uninspiring heavy part. From the evidence of the demo as a whole, Toy aren’t really doing anything new and special, but there are moments that suggest that they could. They need to move away from the templates and strike out on their own, and credit is definitely due for not following the crowd that is flooding everything right now.
Ben
