By Jonny Bakes
Having been in exile in the grim frostbitten North for a fair while now, it’s nice to keep in touch with the musical goings-on of the area I once called home. So, when I got the chance to review the debut EP of an up-and-coming pop-punk band from Cheltenham, I was quite excited to set what they had to offer!
By all accounts, Down Not Out have hit the ground running since they burst onto the scene in January of this year, bringing not only musical talent but also a real savviness for branding and social media advertising. So, it’s not a huge surprise that within months they found themselves supporting bigger bands as they made their stops in Cheltenham, but now it’s time to see whether they can capture their success to data in their debut EP ‘Worse for Wear’.
The first thing that stands out when listening to this release is that is really well put together, particularly for a debut release. Down Not Out really seem to know exactly where they want to head and have pulled together a solid pop-punk album. It has everything you’d be looking for – simple catchy riffs, memorable vocal hooks and lyrics that tend to tug at the emotions. Jo’s voice is particularly clear and strong on every track of this EP, and there’s certainly a distinct influence of Hayley Williams there which I’m sure will appeal to many.
For a first EP there’s a good amount of variety too, showing that these guys are unlikely to be a one trick pony. There are upbeat pop-punk anthems like the title track ‘Worse For Wear’, melancholic ballads like ‘Ghosting’ and my personal favourite the bouncing title track ‘Arm Wrestling’. Then you’ve also got the great number, ‘Wild’, which has a real Yeah Yeah Yeahs feel to it, which is a band I’d long forgotten in the depths of my memory!
There’s plenty here to appeal to fans of a certain nature. If you’re happy getting down to Paramore, New Found Glory and Fall Out Boy, then this is something that belongs in your record collection. I can see some of these tracks finding their way into the DJ setlist for the pop-punk room in rock clubs across the Über Kingdom, and I would expect that it’s not long before they start to break out of the West Country and work their way across the country.
- ‘Worse for Wear’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
- Down Not Out play the free Re-Evolution Winter Festival in Cheltenham on Saturday (23 November).
www.facebook.com/downnotoutband
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