Embracing both the post-hardcore sound and the more palatably punkier edge, The So-Called are an impressive quartet that might well have a bright future in front of them. The EP’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it admirably avoids all cliché and manages to resist immediate categorisation without appearing pretentious.
Opening with ‘Hold’ which calls to mind the soundscapes of Mogwai mixed in with the spiky affability of Hundred Reasons, The So-Called burst out of the blocks with a strong sound that’s evident right from the beginning, characterised by Billy Holah’s driving bass that succeeds in being both broodingly low-key and strangely powerful, kicking the song along and adding a sense of depth that suggests that this lot would be pretty impressive live. Ben Hyman’s vocals sometimes appear to be a touch too stripped-back, and could do with some bulking up because they have a vacancy that’s quite appealing but needs more body to avoid sounding strained. ‘Crawl Off Sorely’ is a fantastically energetic song that moves between an almost Britrock vibe (think Ash circa ‘1977′) and downright heavy without sounding stitched together – that’s what most impressed with The So-Called, because it’s fairly easy to imitate a sound like this but extremely difficult to pull it off comfortably, and that’s what they do.
‘No-one’s Looking’ does stray too far into self-indulgence, as the opening section is a bit too drawn-out but as soon as the crunching chorus slides in all doubts are banished. It’s practically exhilarating listening to the huge crashing guitars and relentless drumming even if it is all over too soon (better to leave the listener wanting more than to bludgeon your good ideas into submission), and ‘I Won’t Leave Town‘ has a jaunty, alt-country thang going on that isn’t really up to the high standards set by the other tracks. It’s not a necessarily bad song, but doesn’t have any of the bite that characterises The So-Called on the evidence of the rest of the EP.
I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t the usual stuff I’d listen to (no horn section dammit), but ended up being pleasantly surprised. Think big sounding epic rock subtitled with a punky melodic sensibility that manages to be both catchy and obtuse at the same time, and that’s The So-Called. With some more ideas and a desire to not settle for anything other than originality, I reckon they could turn more than a few heads.
Ben
socalledben@yahoo.co.uk