It seems that these days, a rather large proportion of the UK post-hardcore scene is hailing from the more southern climes of the country. Indeed, the monopoly on the genre has been sort of released by Wales in recent years and passed down to… well, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. In Remission are a bunch of lads from the latter and are no exception to the post-hardcore trend.
Admittedly, there’s not a vast deal of things on this EP to set them apart. The problem is that In Remission have played it safe with The Great & Shallow. There’s flashes of experimentation throughout – there are some very catchy hooks in songs like Broken Notes, and some great breakdowns along the way , particularly in Fractions (which sounds a bit nu-metally in places, adding to the fun) and my favourite part of the EP is the call and response vocals in Floodlights, but on the whole, the band stick to a fairly safe formula. This is a great shame because they’ve certainly got the talent to pull off some more complicated stuff. Tom Norman and Rodney Smith throw in some great guitar lines and those brief flashes of brilliance, of something more complex, show that the potential is there; the first instrumental section of Floodlights is a complete assault and it works. Daniel Lillie’s vocals are perfectly good enough for what they’ve produced but again, the feeling that he could push himself more and open up that range just a little is present and niggling the whole way through. Final track Solstice is the major highlight of the EP – it just feels big. It’s a well crafted rock ballad with some clever lyrics and an incredible chorus.
That said, what In Remission have done is produce a solid, enjoyable EP, even if it draws from its influences perhaps too closely. Discipline sounds as if it could have come straight off Funeral For A Friend’s Hours, and Broken Notes has some seriously Underoath-esque moments, but they still have their own charm, such as the choral effects on the chorus in the latter. One thing that they should be drawing from their influences is the amount of polish on the production – at times, the EP is a little fuzzy and with this genre, every section needs to ring out clear.
The Great & Shallow is definitely a good listen. Nevertheless, with a bit more exploration and experimentation, In Remission have the potential to be truly great.
3.5 out of 5 high fives!