There’s one thing that you need to keep in mind when listening to ‘The Calm Before the Storm’: effectively this is a stop-gap E.P. aimed at whetting the appetite until a full-length is released. It’s there in the title. Predictably the result is a somewhat disjointed affair rather than being the blow-you-away type offering that some predict âSheffield’s best unsigned bandâ will unleash sooner or later.
The five tracks that make up the E.P. serve as a snap-shot of what the Sheffield outfit is capable of putting out. There’s a pop-rock air that oversees proceedings, but more than that there’s a nuance to each individual track that hints at the different directions the band might be thinking of heading. Opener âState of Emergencyâ has an electro accent to it. âCrash and Burnâ has an underbelly of indie. âFalling Downâ is an emotional near rock ballad complete with piano intro that really is the calm before the storm that is âWith You I’m Nothingâ, a full-on Madina Lake/Elliot Minor style wedge of big-sounding polished pop-rock. Closer âThe Long Goodbyeâ, arguably the strongest track here, is a Mike TV influenced sugar-pop track with hooks big enough to snare even the most stoic of listeners.
As you might expect it’s not like listening to a linear release. It feels more like five individual songs than it does a masterwork. However it does a job, putting the band back in the public eye in preparation for what promises to be a noteworthy release. Plus, you can’t really argue with the price: the band is making this release available free of charge.
Ultimately ‘The Calm Before the Storm’ isn’t going to astound you with its brilliance or originality, but with âpracticeâ material like there’s no reason that Mybe shouldn’t be following in the elevated footsteps of the likes of You Me at Six once that album does finally drop. And after 14 years on the scene it’s hard not to root for this kind of success.
‘The Calm before the Storm’ is available free of charge on 1 March 2009 exclusively from www.mybe-music.co.uk
Alex