Fancy something a little different? Everything On Red may well be for you then. A truly refreshing take on this whole pop-punk thing, it’s actually pretty hard to shoehorn Everything On Red into one particular genre. Songs For Sirens is a fantastic showcase of everything they have to offer, all in a sweet little six song package.
Opening track Welcome To The Sundown is more fun than a four hour session on Spyro 2 (and we all know how ridiculously fun that is!) with a mesh of different vocal styles, some surf punk style guitars and a chorus like no other. The different vocal styles is a major highlight throughout all the EP, with each member contributing in their own way. It achieves a totally unique feel and sets Everything On Red miles apart from the rest. Pull The Pin And Count To What continues along the same lines but with some absolutely crazy synth. It’s a bit like Motion City Soundtrack if you fed them mass amounts of Coca-Cola and bubblegum Millions – bouncing off the walls with glee.
Although the EP is generally rather happy and dancey, there are some more hardcore moments spread throughout. Tribute To Tragedy and All The Best Adventures are great examples of this – the screamed vocals come into the forefront, particularly in the latter, to create some more poignant moments. Despite the happy-go-lucky feel of the music, there are certainly some more thought provoking lyrics to go alongside them – We Never Stop tackles feelings of youthful despondency and the desire to get out there and “make a scene”. If there’s one way to describe the EP overall, it’s a bit like the Eleventh Doctor; ridiculously fun and loopy, but ultimately very clever and a little bit deeper than you first think.
The one thing is that occasionally, the keyboards sound a little gimmicky. Although they’re part of what makes the band so individual, the tone chosen sometimes conflicts with the tone of the song – Tribute To Tragedy being the main offender. When implemented right though, the keyboards help to create a very individual and very compelling sound.
Some new tunes can’t come too soon. If you want a short, sharp blast of something special, then get your ears around Songs For Sirens.
4 out of 5 high fives!