Homeboys of much of the South Wales posse, Newport’s TOWN are refreshingly different from the Funeral For A Friends and The Blackouts of this world. ‘Original Design’ channels something of a Britpop vibe and delivers nothing but straight-up feel-good anthems. There are four of them here and by our books, that’s more than enough to make a damn good first impression.
‘No Detonating Me’ ignites the fire in a suitably explosive manner; with a no-nonsense onslaught of overdriven guitars and a thudding rhythm; this is a straight-up attempt at rock and roll delivered with aplomb. Vocally there are shades of Beat Union‘s Dave Warsop, which brilliantly carry the band’s retro-pop sound. It’s a hit-after-hit affair and if the inevitable debut album is as consistent as this, we may have a genuine radio threat on our hands.
The closing half of ‘United Is Our Kingdom’ wraps this little EP up perfectly. The handclaps begin, the ‘na-na-na-na’s’ take over, and while the song is winding up, you’re reminded just how much fun you’ve had over the last 12 minutes. ‘Original Design’ is a fun-filled soundtrack to anyone’s party and an exciting teaser of what TOWN are capable of.
ANDY RITCHIE