There’s always a temptation to compare female fronted pop-punk bands with the latest ‘sensation’: in the mid 90’s it was No Doubt and nowadays it’s Paramore. To do so though can prove unnecessarily limiting, case in point: Showdown City.
On first listen this self-titled offering from the Midlands outfit doesn’t exactly grab the attention and you’d be forgiven for mislaying it as generic female-fronted pop. But to do so would be wrong. The more you listen to this record the more you realise that it’s as much akin to Vanilla Pod and the skate-punk scene as it is reminiscent of the current ‘big’ thing. The band performed recently at a ‘Stars In Their Eyes‘ style gig as New Found Glory. That’s getting a lot closer. So over the course of seven tracks the band offers all the tricks of the pop-punk trade: fast guitars, trigger-point drums, bouncy choruses (complete with ‘duh da duh da da moments) and sing-along galore. ‘Time To Grieve’ is the stand-out track, wrapping all of the above into one tight sub-three minute package.
So what of those female vocals? Singer Natalie Horne isn’t one of those packaged perfect warblers. There’s a character to her voice that at times is ‘squeaky’ and at others sultry. Add to this a gritty feel and you have a broad range that is worth taking note. It’s not perfect by any means but it is good. The real bonus though is the tight, well-produced music behind these vocals. It’s definitely not a case of one girl and her band.
‘Showdown City‘ is for those that like their pop-punk lively without being too sugary. We’re given just enough of a hint of attitude to nudge the band ahead of the pack. To sum it up, there’s a track on this E.P. called, ‘We’ve Got Potential’: there’s certainly a case for this.
Alex
‘Showdown City‘ is available now direct from the band. An iTunes release is in the works