With the resurgence of emo, minus the studded belts, eyeliner and ridiculous side fringes, a Time Spent Driving revival may not have been at the top of everyone’s list. American Football and Mineral may have stolen the spotlight for long-awaited comebacks, so baring this in mind ‘Passed & Presence’ may have been a little overdue, with a three year wait after the band announced they were getting back together. This didn’t quite align with the ‘everything immediately’ culture we live in today, but it was definitely worth the wait.

With only 8 years active out of 16, this is still an impressive career for the Santa Cruz emo pioneers. They’ve had a huge amount of time to shape their sound, with enough space to visit alternative projects in between. Their early works ‘Walls Between Us’ and ‘Just Enough Bright’ caught the eyes of various indie labels within the states and Europe such as Session, Doghouse, Chestnut Café and Unfun Records. This opened up new doors for the guys to tour overseas, instead of just treading the West Cost of the US which was how their early career panned out.

‘Passed & Presence’ won’t instantly appeal to a new listener, and might take a few plays to really connect with. For existing fans it’s a blast from the past that will conjure up an abundance of nostalgic thoughts of where you were and what you were doing the last time you listened to a Time Spent Driving record. With 9 tracks lasting just under an hour this album isn’t the easiest of listening, with most tracks exceeding 5 minutes.

Tracks such as ‘Hey, You Dropped Something’ and ‘Weight of the Water’ really take you back to TSD’s early sound, but on the whole the band have a much more mature approach to writing this time around, and after sixteen years of practice you’d expect nothing less. ‘Through the Cage’ is a soft opener to the album but really defines where the band are in their career right now. The lyrics are eloquently written and Jon Cattivera’s vocals are especially intense throughout. ‘Blame the Valley’ is the highlight of the record, and possibly one of the darkest, most exceptionally written tracks we’ve heard from an emo band in years. The lyrics are an open letter, and intensely build throughout the seven minute epic, ending with a huge build up of overlapping one-liners, tasteful electric piano and roaring guitars. Followed with the subdued tones of ‘#Sixzeros’ and ‘I’m Not Done With You’ the record as a whole is profoundly thought provoking, and could very well be the older brother of an angst and hate ridden Jimmy Eat World record.

Although this record may have been a little late to the emo-revival party, ‘Passed & Presence’ is a wonderful throwback to emo indie rock at its best. At times it’s a little dewy-eyed, but if you’re looking for something to get your teeth into that isn’t just puppies and sprinkles on the first listen this is the record for you.

Brunel have been together since 2012, their beginnings rooted in the Plymouth alternative scene. ‘Smash On’ is the debut from the 4 piece. Made up with members from previous musical projects Brunel are: Jim MacGregor (vocals), John Cooper (Guitarist), Craig Smith (Bassist) and Ben Russell (Drums). They have gate-crashed 2015 with their full-length, a ferocious breed of modern punk taking influences from 80’s and 90’s alternative rock.

‘Smash On’ was recorded in just over a day in a local venue by Sam Radcliffe of Boxkite, featuring 9 explosive tracks. The debut is a testament to their musical ability considering it was recorded in such a short space of time. Many bands would spend weeks in a studio, but Brunel have captured their sound, energy and passion towards live music perfectly. Diving in, not knowing quite what to expect from the foursome, ‘1 Girl 12 Cups’ kicks off immediately drawing you in with MacGregor’s aggressive vocal style. Full of angst, but in no way reminiscent of a group of angry teenagers, Brunel’s sound embodies four grown men, fed up with life and ready to let off some serious steam within this album.

The pace doesn’t slow for a second and the more lengthy tracks like ‘High Speed Death’ and ‘Real Housewives’ really get the blood pumping, to the extent of wanting to smash up every foreign object around you! Cooper and Smith integrate admirably creating a giant wall of sound behind Jim, dropping in and out at all the right times adding great dynamical contrast to each track; which really shines through in ‘Incredible Quality of Life’.

Penultimate track ‘Less is a Bore’ is the real highlight of ‘Smash On’. It’s the perfect mix of angry and melodic, with a great instrumental from Cooper, Russell and Smith really showing off their talent. They combine so many tight-nip riffs between them with plenty of room for head banging. To put an end to the record the seven minute epic ‘Pass Incomplete’ winds us down. From subtle beginnings gradually building up to a stomping final breakdown Brunel send themselves out with a bang. After 40 minutes of fleeting, intense punk rock you’ll be left wanting to experience the guys live, or craving another couple of listens. ‘Smash On’ is a strong first debut from Brunel; created to be listened to as a whole, and proving the album is definitely not a lost art for a Punk band.

LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE

A Saturday night at The Lexington is never a quiet one. Before a band even step on stage the room is full to the brim and the floor already a little sticky. Let’s blame that on the frozen margaritas they serve downstairs. The line up tonight is a punk rock dream: The Smith Street Band with support from Shit Present and Muncie Girls.

Newly formed from Exeter, by Iona Cairns (Great Cynics), Shit Present are a supergroup made up of members and ex members of Gnarwolves, Ok Pilot, The Computers & The Smith Street Band. Despite being new arrivals on the scene the set is well received, and their freshly streamed track ‘Anxious Type’ goes down a treat. Shit Present’s debut is soon to be released on Specialist Subjects this year and is not to be missed.

It seems Exeter are on good form tonight, with southern punks Muncie Girls taking over. Having trudged all over the UK’s music scene over the past few years it’s great to see them in their element getting the recognition they deserve on a line up that’s so well suited. Vocalist Lande’s voice fills the room as she belts out ‘The Real You’ (Muncie Girls/Great Cynics Split) to a slightly tipsy, animated crowd. They play a tight energetic set, and the audience hang off every word in return.

After two set’s from Exerter’s best it’s time to change things up. Australian born and bread The Smith Street Band have visited the UK in support of The Menzingers and Apologies I have None in previous years. A headline show from the band has been long overdue, and welcomed with open arms by the UK.

The Lexington was made for shows like this. The sold out 200 cap room is overflowing and the frozen margaritas are definitely flowing, as Will, Chris, Lee and Fitzy make their way through the crowd to the stage to a warm elated reception. TSSB kick off with ‘Something I can Hold in my Hands’ prompting a lot of glasses to clink together, and a huge singalong to follow. By the end the whole room has turned into a sweaty hot mess, and the band rattle out a fury-filled 13 song set including ‘Ducks Fly Together’, ‘Sunshine and Technology’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore’.

The emotion that vocalist Will captures on record is a whole different experience live. He injects every last ounce of energy into his playing, and during ‘Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams’ emotions are running high. The band seemed overjoyed at the sight of a sold out show, and there were definitely a few tears blinked back on the punters part after this one.

As we’re nearing the end of the set we hear ‘Throw Me In The River’ the title track from the band’s latest release. Will speaks of writing it walking down the Thames in London alone, and the room erupts with applause as the first couple of lines commence. As the rest of the band join in the sound is vast and so much bigger than on record, which is only a good thing in a live environment.

To put an end to an incredible set The Smith Street Band end with mini anthem ‘Young Drunk’, appropriate considering The Lexington was the first Pub they ever went to in the UK. Thankful they don’t mess about with an encore, as it’s impossible to move because of all their friends blocking the backstage door, the final ‘woahs’ of ‘Young Drunk’ resound throughout the venue, the final crowd surfers absorb back into the crowd and The Smith Street Band leave the stage to a appreciative send off from the spectators; who shortly after disperse back into the bar of the Lexington to begin the next part of their Saturday night.

Having just stepped of a plane, and definitely suffering jet lag, the Australian 4-piece gave London an incredible show and made it clear they felt extremely privileged to be there. Their set was everything a Smith Street show should be: full of good friends, good drinks and singalong’s. Tonight was a testament to the UK’s DIY scene, and the Southerners gave back to the band just as good a time they had seeing them play.

Swindon based emo-rockers Dreamcatcher have released a 3-track EP titled ‘Future Paradise’. Not to be confused with the melodic metal band from Leeds, or the atmospheric alt pop quartet form Maryland; the 5 guys create a strung out moody mix of emo indie rock.

The title track eases into the EP with a smooth instrumental. With Brand New alike lead lines floating above angsty power chords ‘Future Paradise’ doesn’t quite prepare you for the sombre tones of vocalist Franco with ‘Run’, a melodic wonder of a song. Dreamcatcher are bringing something a little different to the table, and it’s massively gratifying to listen to.

‘Shit Out Of Luck’ starts strongly, with Franco’s vocals sticking out like a sore thumb above the band. The combination of low fi guitars with his lower-range vocal tone creates a great contrast but the chorus is a huge anticlimax with weak lyrics.

This is a band that have proven they can write a great song in the form of ‘Run’ but couldn’t quite match it with the other two tracks on the EP. The instrumental beginnings seemed like more of a cop out than an introduction to the band themselves. Dreamcatcher have a strong backbone and an abundance of talent between them, but this hasn’t come together fully with this record. It would have been great to see them spend a little more time on it, pick apart their songwriting and add in a couple more tracks. This time around they have only scratched the surface and if the guys had dug deeper they would have been on the way to the perfect melodic emo EP.

LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE

Many have claimed pop-punk as a genre had died over the years, but there sure is an abundance of it in 2015. With a yearly resurgence of similar-sounding bands each hating on their home town, drinking their weight in coffee, and proclaiming their undying love for their friends; it’s hard to pick out the good from the bad at the best of times.

Broadside are Victory Records answer to 2015 pop-punk. The unconventional signing from the label were warmly welcomed to the roster in 2014. This year they bring us their first Victory release: ‘Old Bones’. Taking a more mature approach to pop-punk, Broadside ride the wave between State Champs and All Time Low, with Ollie Baxter’s lyrics honest and intelligent. Fast forward to every chorus and you will find increasing catchy and melodic pop hooks.

‘A Place to Lay Your Head’ is the sound of a band that are confident with their craft and have been doing this a while. Having the backing of Victory has only done good things for the Virginia quintet; the production on ‘Old Bones’ is great to begin with. Aside from the occasional sporadic electronic drum break (‘A Better Way’) and unnecessary key change (‘Coffee Talk’) the songs are upbeat and infectiously snappy. Baxter’s sense of melody really makes this record. Tracks ‘Storyteller’ and ‘Playing in Traffic’ show off his vast vocal range, something we don’t always see a lot of from pop-punk bands these days.

After forgiving the cringeworthy Joy Division reference in ‘Damaged Kids’ the second half of the album brings more of the same, but the band have stepped into the pop-rock world. ‘Damaged Kids’ is a little over run with synths, and the record is losing it’s edge. Broadside seem to be becoming more and more like pop-punk’s answer to Pierce the Veil. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but after a promising first half of the album it’s a shame to see Broadside’s authentic 5 piece sound transform into over-the-top super shiny pop-rock. ‘A Light in the Dark’ is spoiled by this, and even the title track ‘Old Bones’ isn’t as anthemic after the brief spell of over production.

‘Old Bones’ touches base lyrically with a whole host of relatable subjects and reflects on them with maturity. It may be a little too much at times, but stripped to it’s bare bones it’s a solid pop-punk record with a jam packed rhythm section and killer vocals. Broadside are in no way substitutes for recent pop-punk departures A Loss For Words or Fireworks, but they will certainly hold their own with this record.

LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE

The last 5 years have seen 2 Koji full-lengths, 2 EP’s and 2 splits. The Pennsylvanian singer-songwriter and activist has traveled the world playing with bands and acoustic artists. Koji has never been phased by playing bigger stages with heavier bands. He has captivated audiences with his heartfelt delivery of unique acoustic music, with a guitar-playing style inspired by his Hawaiian roots. 

‘Fury’ is the third EP from Koji released by No Sleep Records, home to a few of his prior releases. For this EP Koji teamed up with producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Circa Survive, Balance and Composure) and recruited a backing band to produce one of his most accomplished records yet. 

The sound of ‘Fury’ will delight his current fan base, whilst drawing in new listeners. The acoustic style and folk delivery still remains concrete to Koji’s sound, but in addition to this the sound of the band has a grunge edge, evocative of the Pixies, and not miles away from ‘Hyperview’ the recent album from Title Fight. Yip has definitely had some input on the overall resonance of the EP, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Title track ‘Fury’ followed by ‘Breaking and Broken’ breathe new life into Koji’s sound. His vocals throughout are sincere and warm, and even though this record is less acoustic than previous ones it is in no way overproduced. 

‘Everyday’ shows more of Koji’s country influences with solid choruses and repetitive one-liners that suit his live set perfectly, encouraging crowd participation. Fused with the new sound this is flawless and you can only imagine this live being just an entrancing as a conventional eye-watering acoustic set from the 28 year old. 

The final track is ‘Question’. Finely crafted chord changes and profound lyrics tie up the EP. There is a great amount of breathing space in this track. Without overcomplicating things Koji has showcased his backing band at their finest and given us the time and room to enjoy them. It’s a shame when the EP comes to an end, but a full length of this new musical direction in the future would be incredibly well received. ‘Fury’ is a awe-inspiring short EP, and leaves you desperate for more after the first listen. 

LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE

‘MCIII’ is the third album from noisy pop songwriter and musician Mikal Cronin. It’s bursting at the seams with indulgent orchestral arrangements and radiant pop melodies. Every song gives full-bodied warm tones; all the arrangements done by Cronin himself. This was definitely his ‘go big’ approach to writing when lurking in third album territory last year.

Side A is an abundance of undisputed pop-rock songs. Single ‘Make My Mind Up’ is a definite highlight with a driven beat and shimmering reverberating vocals. ‘I’ve Been Loved’ has more of a minimal composition but Cronin manages to deliver some short spouts of experimental guitar lines behind the instrumental giving it a new dimension.

Continuing to Side B ‘MCIII’ transforms into a miniature concept record, built around the retelling of what Cronin calls his ‘coming-of-age’ story. This is a peculiar time to introduce this halfway through a record. His pop hooks and giant arrangements disintegrate into deeply personal lyrics (Alone, Different) and a fuzzier rhythm section, accompanied by subtle strings in places.

Songs like ‘Gold’ and ‘Control’ show a much darker side to Cronin. After he left California to pursue school in the Pacific Northwest he was alone and struggling with excruciating back pain. The lyrics throughout tell a story of this. Using a full electric band as oppose to the larger orchestral ensembles Cronin began with embody this perfectly. ‘Ready’ is noise driven and raw in tone, but so far removed from what we started with in track one ‘Turn Around’. It’s starting to show that Cronin might have been a bit ambitious with the many concepts and ideas he wanted to put across in just one record.

‘MCIII’ has some well crafted songs, and is filled with glistening vocal melodies and well thought out arrangements. It’s clear Cronin has a story to tell, and his songwriting is a testament to that, but essentially he’s written two very different records, which at times don’t compliment each other. If both had been released one after the other as separate records the concepts throughout may have become more accessible and showcased his versatility more.

LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE