New Artist Alert: Two Types of Clothing

When We Were Beautiful is proud to introduce Two Types of Clothing, a hard-edged pop-punk trio who come bursting onto the scene already with loads of gigging experience. The guys hope to add to this soon when they become of driving age (17 in the UK) and have the freedom of the open road ahead of them. In the meantime, their current three-track EP 'It's Not Our Fault' fell into my proverbial lap and I was more than intrigued to have a listen...

Track 1/The Truth's Off The Bed/ A poetic title that sets the lyrical scene for the track, as a strong guitar riff builds, guiding us through the accompanying half-time feel then all-out double time massacre. I love the chords playing behind the main riff; it's a very genre-specific riff and feel. The vocals are all-out punk with a quintessential hint of English charm and, to be honest, it's refreshing to hear male vocals over a pop-punk track without a pretentious American tinge. The guitar threatens to burst in throughout the verses as the rhythm section drives along relentlessly, eventually parting for the half-time feel chorus. The breakdown goes exactly where it needs to, with a great intro to it and the solo is just what was called for; predictable perhaps but for all the right reasons. The band tease with the final chorus, letting big guitar chords ring and introducing a hi-fi vocal sound before everything falls back into place for one final flourish. A really explosive opener with great energy.

Track 2/Picks and Sticks/ A prickly guitar riff opens up to a more melodic and dynamic pattern as it introduces the second track that's just as ferocious as the first. This band's all about the riffs and I can really appreciate the song-writing abilities of the band; they're tight and all very capable musicians topped off with really raw and confident vocals and great musical ideas. The verses are imaginative and the chorus comes like a punch in the face, hitting you like a freight train and not leaving any prisoners but it's not so heavy that it wouldn't work on Radio 1 which is a great balance I think the band have struck. The guitar chords that ring out in the breakdown sound a little weak against the drums and could do with a little more volume and reverb on them. I think they just sound a tad dry but it's nothing to do with the arrangement, more about post-production work. The section it feeds into though sounds great and again the chord progression and the specific voicings really work well. It dips once more before gaining volume for the final chorus, adding to the impact that the punch of a final chorus should pack.

Track 3/Limitations/ A crackly, feeding-back intro filters through before the guitar riff welcomes us to the final track of the EP, I think the only criticism I would have is that all the intros are quite lengthy; it was almost a full minute before the vocals came in and I think listeners (and record execs alike) want to be grabbed as soon as possible to maintain their interest. The harmonies explored here work really well and are really nice to hear; the track itself isn't as strong as its predecessors but the addition of backing vocals helps it to stand its own. The drummer sounds great in this track, really showcasing himself well with loads of flashy fills and busy grooves; the breakdown is guitar-led and could easily lead to a solo but works equally well feeding back into the chorus. The song ends well and caps off the EP perfectly.

Two Types of Clothing are hitting the studio again soon to record a track that will be available on iTunes for a pocket-friendly 79p so be sure to check that out soon and keep up to date with the guys on their Facebook page where you'll also find a rocking version of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream!