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!

New Music Review: Katie Dean

Katie Dean is a singer/songwriter from Preston, UK, who has only been gigging since August 2008. She's recently finished recording a full-band EP, and below I've reviewed a track-by-track guide.

She'll Be Alone - The word that hits me in the first 20 seconds of this track is 'now'. The vocals remind me of Katy Perry, but when the full band comes in there's a real Taylor Swift country-pop feel which sounds great and very radio-friendly. The second verse is rich with overdubbed vocals and a cool synth riff sitting below the relentless drums and the production sounds great; a lot more professional sounding to what I honestly expected. In what I think is the bridge section, there was a little too much going and I was slightly distracted by the swaying synth sounds in the background, but overall I love the arrangement and think the track is perfectly suited for a young-teenage fanbase and would sit great within a Radio 1 playlist.

Breaking Your Heart - The next track starts similarly with gentle acoustic guitar and vocals; the vocals sound tender yet confident and assure the listener of their place and Dean's right to be where she is right now. The song has another cool pop-groove to it and a memorable if slightly predictable structure. This isn't a criticism though; nobody gains radio airplay unless they stick to what the average music listener expects them to. The track has a great and uplifting feel to it and really shows us what Dean is all about.

My New Story - It's a similar tempo and sound but this is what works for Dean and suits her style. The verses push along hard and I'm confident that an entire album of Dean's current arrangements would settle nicely without any arguments between Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Ok, it's not ground-breaking music or breaking any moulds but you have to hand it to Dean; she knows what is current and what is popular and is playing to this. The difference is her age; there aren't many young female singer/songwriters with such professionally sounding tracks that aren't either vocals and acoustic guitar or small band arrangements. Dean's tracks really do sound like something a Major record label might be pushing and that's great. Anyway, back to the song, it's fast and fun and wants you to take notice; the vocal melodies fit perfectly and sound great. I was thinking a short subtle stab of guitar solo over the last part of the last chorus would really be the icing on the cake, and then it came. Simple yet effective; it's exactly what I, as the listener, wanted to hear and I was granted this which can only be good.

Go Find Yourself - The last of Dean's tracks is a little calmer on the intro which works well in her favour, I'm not sure if the track listing on MySpace is the correct order for her EP but I welcomed the break from relentless drums and polished electric guitars. The song feels like less of a single, although for only one out of four tracks to not strike me as a single isn't at all bad! The drums are more interesting in this song and are given a little more freedom and I really like the backing vocals on the choruses. The ending is cool and different, providing both a singalong aspect for live performances and the possibility of rousing a crowd by going back around the chorus with a big snare fill into the full-band arrangement one more time.

I think Katie Dean is one to watch; her songs are impressive and highly polished and I think it's only a matter of time before the name becomes more familiar. Of course you can listen to her tracks for yourself on her MySpace page; she's young, enthusiastic and talented and I really hope this gets her somewhere.