The UK scene is very congested at the moment and full of some outstanding talent looking to breakthrough, a good bit of it far exceeding what’s coming out of the US. This particular release though feels as though it has come from across the Atlantic, even if the guys are from Canterbury, Kent.
The influences evident here are all American. The Get Up Kids is probably the most prominent but there are bits of Four Year Strong as well. I’d say overall it’s a more pop-influenced Four Year Strong sound with an attempt but failure to match some hardcore elements with the raw emotion that Get Up Kids convey so well. It doesn’t quite work and there’s not enough here to suggest they’re going to stick out from the crowd.
This has all the elements you’d want from a good pop-punk record though. There’s some good hooks mixed in with half decent but reasonably generic melodies and it’s a pleasant enough listen. It’s nothing new and we’ve all heard this before but I can see this getting them attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The issue is to make any real progress they will need to identify a sound and direction a little more unique and personal to themselves rather than what they are influenced/admirers of.
JAMIE HIND