My last few post-hardcore/emo reviews have been aggressively written and I’ll make no apologies for slamming banal music created by talentless bands cashing in on trends because they aren’t creative enough to come up with their own sounds and styles. On popping in the Ran.For.Days three track EP, I’ll admit I was wary that I’d probably be scything through a few more harsh words. But on this occasion, I’ll eat my hat – because generic moments and dodgy lyrics apart, this is actually a very good EP. It’s just a pity the band seemingly quit last week! The ‘Consequence Of Arguments’ EP is very well produced, has a solid sound and displays a talented array of musicians who are clearly passionate about what they do. While some of the riffs may be borrowed, and the ideas probably blatantly stolen from other post-hardcore acts, RFD carry them off with a verve and confidence which really wins them plus points.
Opener ‘Counting Postcards’ is especially strong, with a clear and distinct vocal melody which suggests the band have the knack for penning a hit. The other two tracks are decent enough, although not as strong as the opener. RFD’s problem is that the lyrics are horribly cliched and appear to be written by a GCSE poetry student. Imagine all the emo cliches (letters, mirrors, stars…I think they’re all here) and you’re not far wide of the mark. I’m not expecting Pullitzer prize winning scribes, but when the music sounds as good as it does, it’s disappointing that the lyrics cannot reach these high points.
So, Ran.For.Days may no longer be with us, but their brand of post-hardcore was one of the better efforts I’ve heard in recent months. I think it shows that while the genre may be dying, it’s not quite dead yet…
www.ranfordays.co.uk
Paul