Actions! are a female fronted pop-punk band from the south coast. Their single, Devil’s Words, is out today on various formats, so we take a look and see what it’s all about.
The truth is with any female fronted pop-punk band, it’s really hard to try and put any Paramore comparisons behind you. In the case of Actions!, those Paramore influences are so clear. However this time, it’s not in the vocals, which is a very pleasant surprise. The guitars are akin to early Paramore (and therefore obviously, when the Farro brothers were still in the band). This is in no way a bad thing and helps to create a summery feeling without all the angst that new Paramore has picked up. Vocalist Emily Cracknell has a very delicate voice and doesn’t try to emulate Hayley Williams like so many other bands with a similar set up at the moment. In the verses, this is perfect and works really well. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have enough power for the choruses which otherwise, would be a massive high point in the track.
Although, the major issue that I have with the track is this – in the middle of the song, there’s a particularly dodgy bit where Emily’s doing some wailing which completely ruins it. She just doesn’t have the power for that kind of vocal effect. Without it, it’s a decently bouncy pop-punk tune. It’s difficult because it’s the kind of part that can make or break a song – in this instance, it pretty much breaks it.
However, that aside, it’s a reasonably catchy tune. The potential is there. With a bit more practise, Actions! could be a really exciting band. Devil’s Words falls a little bit flat of that, but I’ll keep looking out for them – if they can properly harness Emily’s strengths, they’ll be one to watch out for.
2.5 out of 5 high fives