White Clouds and Gunfire is a young and recently revamped band from Peterborough, and whilst that particular city is somewhat grey and repressive this E.P. is made of sunnier stuff. It’s pop-punk that sits far closer to the pop fence than it does the punk one.
In the space of three tracks the band showcases a sound that is as much evocative of Avril Lavigne as it is any of the current crop of pop-punk heroes, and that’s not just because of the female lead. The tunes have that angst ridden teenager feel to them, focusing on relationships and love. Vocally, singer Evey has a decent enough voice but you can’t help but wish for her to really push the emotional boundary. Reach up to the sky, grab passion by the lung- full and force it into the listener’s ears. A new song that manages to do this will push the band another step up the ladder.
The band name suggests the juxtaposition of calm (white clouds) and obtrusiveness (gunfire) and maybe if this was the case with the E.P. it would work better. Instead it’s all calm white clouds in the form of gentle melodies, slightly faster choruses and the occasional subtle slowdown. There’s no obtrusiveness, no abrasiveness, in essence no gunfire. A little more of this and the band might be on to something.
Alex