New Artist Alert: Maycomb

When We Were Beautiful is happy to share Maycomb with you, a pop-punk quartet from Wolverhampton who have just announced the release of their debut album 'I Opened My Heart To Caustic Things' via I Am Mighty records.

I've had a listen to the album, which is an energetic pop-punker of a CD that kicks off like a freight train with opener 'New Storms'. Maycomb are setting their stall out early, beating the crowds on an early Sunday morning with all the bite and energy of any well-established pop-punk outfit from across the pond. Frantic drums and a steady mix of half-time/double-time feels ensures this sits well within the established comfort zone of the genre and, at just under 2 minutes long, is a real snapshot of things to come from the album; a warm-up to the main event if you will.

'Dynamiter' kicks off with an extended Parmore-esque opening feel, before making way for the vocals that are often dual-layered adding a little more depth to the lead vocals which feel a little thin at times. I'm reminded of the All American Rejects at times, so if you're a fan these guys might just be for you. Verse 2 looks to develop ideas previously explored in the track to maintain the listener's interest whilst remaining true to the good-old pop-punk recipe.

'Out of the Darkness Cometh Light' offers a little audio-respite; a wise move from Maycomb as they opt for a mid-album electric guitar/vocal ballad to ease off the intensity, if only for a minute or so, allowing the listener a bit of breathing space. The segue into 'When The Time Comes' is rather effortless and definitely adds to the track considering the afforded toilet-stop.

The album ends just as it started, full of energy and drive with 'Also Ran' that particularly showcases some great drumming and lead guitar work. The rhythm section are working hard throughout the album holding things down; the guys are evidently tight and doing a great job on the song-writing front which should hopefully allow them success as long as the genre remains relevant.

If you like what you read, check out the album-sampler in the video below. Hopefully then your appetite will be well and truly whetted and I'm only too happy to send you in the direction of iTunes where you can purchase an album for yourself. Be sure to keep up to date with the guys on Facebook too, and catch them live when you can. Enjoy :)

New Artist Alert: These Days

That this band share their name with my favourite Bon Jovi album has no bearing on my wanting to share them with you...honest. I don't think there's much more correlation to draw from anyway, so I'll lay that to rest now (on a bed of roses perhaps?) and get on with this feature. This quartet from Salisbury are set to launch their six-track mini album titled 'Hope and Glory' of which I've reviewed a few tracks from below. The guys 'take inspiration from the likes of Foo Fighters and Brand New; These Days have an exciting and different outlook on music'. I'm excited to hear what this rock/pop/punk outfit can bring to the table...

Glory/ A much calmer introduction to the CD than I expected considering the band's influences and pop-punk description. Glory starts life as a soothing, almost folk-tinged track, gaining momentum as the drums hope to pull it from its Mumford & Sons' clutches whilst melodic guitars and quintessential vocals stake their claim and dig in their heels. The track has a progressive feel to it as the mix is enriched with a growing musical spectrum and a really refreshing sound. Just past the one minute mark the track kicks in with a strong and epic-sounding chorus before dipping, showcasing the great-sounding vocals and imaginative backing harmonies. There's a fantastic guitar riff that kicks in, lifting the track many miles away from it's roots a mere two minutes ago but it's been such a progressive and cleverly crafted journey that nothing is out of place. A fabulous start.

Always/ Is it too much of a coincidence that the band share another Bon Jovi song title? I'm certain this won't be a cover (and for the sake of the review, will stop with the references now!). An edgier second track kicks in, the vocals reminding me of the All American Rejects before a short pre-chorus introudces a half-time feel that texturally allows the track to grow. The vocals take on a more Gerard Way sound here, or at least some of the melodies remind me of him, as frantic drums and guitar work take over as the second verse enters. The snare strokes on the drums are perhaps a little overkill every bar, it may have been more effective every two or perhaps even every four as it creates quite a busy sound., but the impact of the half-time second chorus is heightened by this. The subtle backing vocals add a lot to the track, and the breakdown section really allows for the rhythm section to step into the limelight as winding guitar works away in the background. More vocals enrich this section before the last double chorus kicks in, the latter making the leap to a double-time feel which is a great touch, before a very abrupt and unexpected end.

Misery/ I love the sound of this as the track starts off with everyone all-in; the drums really fight for centre stage against the dual-layered lead-vocals with a great tom-driven beat topped with uplifting hits on the bell of the ride. The vocals eventually stride on ahead in the final straight as an interesting and chunky chord progression highlights the changing section before the chorus comes around in almost two parts (unless I've misread the specific sections). I love the minor-sounding first-half of the chorus (or extended pre-chorus!) as the vocals stick close to the home key, always threatening to leap up into the next octave. It's a lovely interval, as they eventually leap a fifth above (tonic to dominant; a winning formula!) which creates a really uplifting section against the same interesting chord progression that was featured before; listen out for the ingenious second chord that adds a real alternative touch. I'm not sure how much thought has gone into the arrangement of the track but either way the effect on the listener is perfect. Suddenly a punky-section kicks in and I've realised that this band are the masters in really mixing up the theme of a track, dipping in and out of many different sub-genres whilst maintaining an over-riding feel. It's a great asset they hold and they pull it off perfectly.

I've genuinely enjoyed listening to a really refreshing sound that thinks outside the box and really pushes the pop-punk boundaries in a way that can keep the genre alive. To think this EP started off with a Mumford-esque feel, only to morph seemlessly into a MCR drive really pays a compliment to the song-writing abilities of this band and I hope they are the pioneering force to be reckoned with. As the 'same old' pop-punk genre threatens to die out a boring and drawn-out death, finally someone is taking it upon themselves to help give birth to its sister genre and, lest we forget, every genre of music we listen to once started life as something very different. I urge you to check out These Days on Facebook and either get yourselves a copy of the mini-album or catch them live. Brilliant stuff.

EP Review: The City Calls - Dirty Tricks

The City Calls are a cool, fresh pop-punk band from Southampton. I caught them supporting Army of Freshman recently and have to say their set was brilliant; extremely tight and professional stuff. I got in touch and got my hands on their latest EP entitled Dirty Tricks, for which you can read a track-by-track review of below.

Track 1/Heroics - An explosion of noise grabs me like the start of any EP should do and makes way for a cool guitar/pulsating-kick drum intro. The arrangement and overall feel reminds me of the All American Rejects, whilst the vocals have a Patrick Stump tinge to them. I like the feel of the distant lead vocal lines hiding at the back of the mix giving the verse a little more as it's otherwise quite sparse with minimal guitars and grooving drums. Already the tightness of the band's song-writing and overall musicality is striking; the chorus is precise and punchy and the presence of the bass in the second verse is definitely welcomed. It's a cleverly built arrangement and the introductions of new parts layered within each new section is cool. The drum sound is great in the breakdown section; often big cymbal parts can sound washy and overpowering but the mix is spot on. I thought my iTunes had skipped on after a sudden end to the song, but was caught out when the chorus came back in, after the sound of a radio tuning! A cool and fun pop-punk song.

Track 2/It's Your Fault - The instant hook of the backing vocals in this song takes me back to the live show; it's a great thing when the whole band are singing and really filling out a song and it works perfectly here. Straight into the verse and the backing vocals are further explored, harmonising with single phrases which support the lead vocals well. It's a great singalong chorus and perfect for new and old fans alike. The rhythm section holds the verses down as the guitar builds throughout but I wasn't keen on the solo harmonic guitar lines before the second chorus; they downplayed the song a little for my liking. The breakdown/middle 8 section is really grooving though; it showcases the drums well and has a great feel to it. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Track 3/Flaunt It - The All American Rejects feel is still apparent, now with a touch of Panic! At The Disco, although I never got into pop-punk massively so my knowledge is quite general. Having said that, I can certainly appreciate a hard-working band who know exactly where they're going in terms of the sound they create and The City Calls are definitely that band. Flaunt It is another great example of that, with big energetic drums, great vocal harmonies and cool guitar work. Within the context of an EP, the track blends in a bit but it's certainly nice to hear a guitar solo, especially one that dares to last longer than four bars. The chorus is strong and the ending surprising yet clever.

Track 4/Those Eyes - With a name as such and this position on the EP, I'm almost expecting more of a ballad here before the final song packs the knock-out punch. This is the anticipation I feel as the song is loading up anyway, but the opening riff doesn't set the scene I had in mind. I really like the feel of the pre-choruses though and I think it's as close as I'm going to get to a 'ballad' from a pop-punk band. The chorus sounds great; definitely a compromising mix of pop-punk punch with the calmer feel I felt I needed and the vocals sound great here. The breakdown is another great vocal showcase as the bass and kick-drum tie the song down; a song that's threatening to break free into an explosive solo...which is exactly what it does so there's a big tick from me in the listener's point of view. The half-time final chorus is once again expected but that's not a bad thing; it's important to give the listener what they want and sometimes an obvious twist is the best bet.

Track 5/Get Away(acoustic) - Aside step the walls of noise and crashing cymbals, the big riffs and pumping bass. This is a side I didn't experience at the live show and it's a welcome feel at the end of the EP. The acoustic guitar work is really nice and although it's still feels as if written as a pop-punk song, it works great as an acoustic number. Once again the backing vocals really take the song into new territory, they provide that little something extra that really make the song. I find myself listening, I mean really listening, not just part-listening, part-thinking, part-typing and realise that a good chunk of the song has passed without me thinking much apart from just enjoying the composition. It's unexpected yet welcomed and, in my opinion, the perfect end to a fantastic EP that showcases a band brimming with talent and energy. Definitely a name to watch!

The City Calls have, of course, got a Myspace page which I urge you to visit to check out their upcoming shows and have a listen to them yourself. You can check out Heroics, plus an acoustic version of It's Your Fault and a preview of the entire Dirty Tricks EP. Enjoy, and try and catch a live show soon :)