Robyn Writes

Review: The Kimberly Steaks – Chemical Imbalance [EP]

I think I might have a new favourite band. And if you’re hankering for a four-track EP that’s under ten minutes long with gnarly basslines and sweet guitar solos, or an EP that sounds a little bit like the good side of Green Day before they decided to go all rock opera, then Chemical Imbalance by The Kimberly Steaks might just be your new favourite band too.

Chemical Imbalance is approximately seven and a half minutes long. In those seven and a half minutes, it manages to achieve far more than most other releases you’ll hear this year – it’ll actually make you fucking smile. Which is not what you’d probably expect from a Glaswegian punk band, but nonetheless, it’s there. It’s not a trainride into Nostalgia City Station, because this EP is timeless – even if it takes you less time to listen to it than to finish reading your Tumblr feed in a morning. From the first heady bass tremble in ‘Chemical Imbalance’ to the cheesy keyboard outro in ‘Something Good’, The Kimberly Steaks have managed to create something fantastic. There’s harmonies galore throughout, especially in ‘Ticking Over’ – an ode to getting by. ‘Change Your Mind’ is the longest track on the EP, and also the slowest. However, it’s a slice of glorious four-chord punk from start to finish, the likes of which will have you itching to pick up that guitar that’s lying in the corner.

In a world full of thrashy hardcore and gruff, beardy punk, we need something light-hearted and irreverent, yet still actually good and vaguely meaningful to help us keep the balance – that’s where the Kimberly Steaks come in. Every song is perfectly structured into little bursts of irresistible punk rock dynamism, and you won’t find a tighter record with as much feeling as this all year. Pick this up on 16 March and experience joy in its purest form, which as it turns out, is sarcastic-as-fuck pop-punk from Glasgow.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: I, The Lion – Run [EP]

Post-punk is a bit of a funny label to play with. Readily applied to bands like Biffy Clyro, Thrice and Reuben, it seems to be a catch-all for anything that just sounds big these days. It would be far too easy to lump Cheltenham’s I, The Lion in with that lot. While it’s clear that the trio take influence from a few of the noisiest bands around, you’d be hard pressed to find a record that has the same heart and ambition as Run.

The EP is a technical masterpiece, to say the least. Recorded and produced by Jason Wilson at Stakeout Studios, who’s worked with big names like You Me At Six and Fightstar, was a clever move, helping to enhance and consolidate what is already an impressive signature sound. Everything about Run is huge, from the infectious riffs to the ambitious choruses. If you’ve ever seen I, The Lion live, then you’ll know that it is actually possible to make that level of noise with just three people, even if it seems unbelievable for now. Take lead single ‘Hold Strong’, for example – right from the start, you notice the sheer force of the drums and the incredible level of control in the melody. Then, when Chris’ vocals start to feed in, they’re just the right side of gruff, balancing perfectly against Elliot’s higher backing. Each element in ‘Hold Strong’ is so intricately crafted, and that carries through the entire record. ‘Icarus’ is perhaps my favourite track, with its playful opening riff that leads into a crushing breakdown right from the off. But, for those of you who like their stuff to sound epic, then ‘Bonny Island’ crashes through any expectations and totally rewrites them – a complex, time-signature bending pure rock pounder with riffs that Incubus would be jealous of.

However, it’s not just the fact that I, The Lion are completely on top of their game musically that really makes Run such a fantastic record. Lyrically, you can be forgiven for thinking it’s just another pile of metaphor on metaphor at first glance, but if you listen closely, Run is a thrilling, emotionally intelligent ride. From start to finish, it’s an exhilarating experience, and it’s impossible not to see the love and attention that has been lavished upon these four tracks.

Run is a statement of intent – I, The Lion have arrived, and they’re here to stay in your stereo. One of the most exciting new bands in the British scene, I, The Lion are perfectly poised to overthrow the alternative rock hierarchy and triumphantly claim your adoration as rightfully theirs.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

You can read our interview with I, The Lion about how Run came together here.

Interview: I, The Lion

I, The Lion are well known in Cheltenham town. And with their latest EP, Run, they’re set to be well known throughout the country, if not the world. Run is a masterpiece, full of heart and absolutely massive riffs. I caught up with Elliot and Chris following the release of Run to find out a little bit more about how it all came about, and just how they manage to create such an incredible and unique sound.

What’s the typical songwriting process for the band?

Elliot: Most of the time it starts as a basic idea from myself, like a riff or chord progression. Then I’ll show Chris and it starts to to get the intricate after a few tweeks. Nath will then have this idea in his head and add his wizardry drumming to complete our style. So over all it’s pretty much a combination of all of us sharing an idea and developing it to the best we can make it.

So Chris, you started off playing drums, then moved to guitar, before finally settling on bass – how has that shaped the way you come up with songs?

Chris: I think it has helped me to understand what the others do and what’s possible for one person to play, although the others constantly break the possible barrier. Playing drums has really helped with my rhythm, so it’s helped me to work with Nath (drums) as tightly as possible and allow Elliot to flow with his lightening fingers. Plus bass is the instrument of love, right? Guys? Right?

Elliot: Errr yeah, love. Good for you!

What was it like working with Jason Wilson? Did his direction affect the songs in any particular way?
Elliot: Sometimes it’s difficult having someone come in and give you their take on your songs, but it felt like throughout the entire recording process Jason knew exactly where we wanted our sound to be. He’s a perfectionist just like us, so being able to record to such precision was exactly what we wanted.

Has Elliot moving to Reading affected you as a band at all?
Elliot: Surprisingly, not as much as you’d think! The distance forces us to be proactive to ensure we’re seeing each other for rehearsals, lil jams or even just a beer. At this point, four years in, we don’t need to practice every week anymore and it’s all pretty much second nature.

How do you achieve such a massive, intricate sound with just three of you? Is there any pedal trickery, for example?

Elliot: We get asked this a lot of shows, it’s a mixture of a couple of things, really. Like you said, pedal trickery plays a minor part, I’m a major tech head and have been developing my tone for the best part of a decade. Also, the ridiculously thick guitar strings we use play a big part. My Gibson has bass strings on it because the electric string equivalent felt like a flappy sponge, and Chris’s lowest string is thicker than a telegraph pole. Oh, and also having a drummer that hits his kit so hard something breaks pretty much every song. True story.

What is your favourite bit of kit that you just couldn’t do without?

Elliot: For me, it’s gotta be my SG. There’s something amazing about the pickups on it that make any tone sound incredible.

Chris: For me, it’s my tiny but mighty Orange SP212 cab. It’s so small but it can still cause an earthquake.

You’ve played most of the songs from the EP live already. Has that affected the final version of the songs much?
Elliot: When we write new material, it goes though a lot of rehearsals to ensure its ready for gigs or recording. We’ll keep picking at it to get everything we can out of that song, so anything we play live it’s pretty much the final product. The four tracks on this EP in particular have never changed since conception.

You’ve got quite a distinctive sound, very different from your contemporaries in Gloucestershire. Is it ever a bugger to find a bill you really fit into?
Elliot: Oh yeah, it’s almost impossible! The number of metal shows we were put on to when we started was ridiculous. Me and Nath are metal heads deep down but our sound stuck out like a sore thumb. These days, we just accept whatever bill were put onto and give it all we’ve got.

You did a fair few festivals last year, including local favourite 2000trees. Are you considering a similar run this year?
Elliot: Definitely! Festival season is just ace, it’s such a different vibe to touring but both are equally awesome.

I, The Lion are Chris Evans (bass/vocals), Elliot Withers (guitar/vocals), and Nath Priday (drums). Their latest EP, Run, is out now, and the band will be touring the UK from 25 February.

Robyn’s Top 10 Valentine’s Tracks for 2015

I normally do an ‘anti-Valentines’ playlist every year. I try to be witty, and pick songs that are all about death and hate and horror. ‘Last Caress’ by the Misfits has topped my list virtually every year since I was 18. But this year, I decided that I should actually take the spirit of the season properly and come up with a list of songs that are actually about love and mushy stuff and all that stuff… kind of.

10) Millencolin – Fox

Okay, okay, so I’ve got to get a joke song in there at some point, and I figured I’d get it over and done with first thing. Millencolin’s heartfelt punk rock love letter to their car is brilliant. A perfect example of how great Pennybridge Pioneers is, it’s a fun-filled ride from start to finish.

9) Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – See Her On The Weekend

The whole AM In The Wilderness record is incredible, but there are certain songs in particular that left an impression on me. I’ve found that the older I get, the less I want to hear about your stereotypical adolescent romance, and I want to hear about something real. See Her On The Weekend is one of those such songs – just simple musings about life and the love that comes with it.

8) AFI – End Transmission

Davey Havok’s Bonnie and Clyde-esque tale about running away into the sunset is probably the best thing about Crash Love. The first verse is hopelessly romantic, and even if there aren’t any of signs of Davey’s signature ‘oh!’, it’s still pretty fantastic.

7) Lanterns – Happiness Pt 3

To be honest, I could have picked any of the ‘Happiness’ trio, but Pt 3 just is this perfect exaltation of love. I’d be loathe to say you need romantic love to be happy in life, but ‘Happiness Pt 3’ explains just how happy someone else can make you feel. Plus, it has an absolutely gorgeous build-up towards the end.

6) The Lawrence Arms – Fireflies

‘Fireflies’ is a tale of love long lost, but it’s definitely earned its place on this list. It’s one of the best songs on The Greatest Story Ever Told, and it’s probably the smartest in this bunch. If you don’t totally fall head over heels for Chris’ vocals, then you’re probably soulless.

5) Sugarcult – Lost In You

I adored this record when I was a kid, and I thought that ‘Lost In You’ was the prettiest little thing. Lots of the record was typical pop-punk fare, but ‘Lost In You’ was something deeper. It’s a catchy track, and it made me want to have the kind of love that led to that kind of heartbreak.

4) Descendents – Talking

The Descendents always keep it real. ‘Talking’ is all about frustrating long distance relationships and trying to keep it all together over the phone. In typical Descendents style, it’s as honest as it comes. It’s hard not to fall in love with Stephen Egerton’s infectious riffs, and the line ‘Maybe we’ll fall in love when I get home’ will get stuck in your head for days.

3) Say Anything – Crush’d

Out of all of Max Bemis’ proclamations of love, Crush’d is by far my favourite. Branded with the typical Say Anything wittiness, it’s a gem of a track, lurking on their oft-forgotten self-titled record. It’s a total love letter to his wife Sherri, and it’s bloody wonderful.

2) Candy Hearts – I Miss You

‘I Miss You’ is just lovely, earnest pop-punk joy. If a red velvet cupcake could be a song, then this would be it with sprinkles on top. But it’s also totally real – Mariel’s lyrics indicate a fear of handing yourself over completely to one person, but at the same time, there’s a great sense of excitement about being so in love.

1) Brand New – Soco Amaretto Lime

Do I even need to explain anything? Brand New’s anthem about the end of adolescence is the sweetest love song of all time.

Review: Lanterns – This Is Not My Home

Gloucester punks Lanterns release their new record on Monday, and they’re certainly not afraid to talk about their feelings. The band is the new brainchild of Joe Banyard, who often performs clever and pretty acoustic songs under the utterly brilliant or horrendously cringy pseudonym (take your pick) The Joe Banyard Sexperience, and he’s recruited former Still Bust drummer Sam Piper, Kav Townsend and Brogan Wilson to join him on a full band ride. While locals of the Gloucestershire scene will recognise a fair few songs on the record from Joe’s solo project, This Is Not My Home is a shining example of good, honest songwriting, and a masterclass in reinvention.

The eight-track album is short and sweet, but cleverly tied together by a series of tracks labelled ‘Happiness’, each with its own distinct identity. ‘Happiness Pt 1’ heads up the record with some beautiful vocals and proper jangly guitars. It’s rousing stuff, and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. ‘Happiness Pt 2’ in comparison is totally different – mostly just guitars, with a haunting echo effect on the vocals, and slots in nicely as a quiet reminiscence. ‘Happiness Pt 3’ instead brings it back up to eleven – an anthemic rendition about picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and getting it all back together, it’s fast and fun with a bloody fantastic build up at the end.

Although the ‘Happiness’ trio might be the glue holding it all together, there’s a lot more in store. ‘The Best You’ll Never Have’ is typically introspective and blissfully simple, but what it lacks in intricacy, it more than makes up for in emotion. Every track on This Is Not My Home is full of melody and soul, including lead single ‘Moving On’. A triumphant, heartwarming proclamation, this Gaslight Anthem-esque track is the shining star of the album. It might be a bit of a change of pace for Banyard and Piper, but you’d never know it – the songs translate so well from acoustic anthems to punk rock bangers. This is especially so in the case of ‘Safe With Me’. A live favourite, its shout-along final verse rounds the record off perfectly, and it’s given a power it could never have achieved as just an acoustic track. It’s not to say that every song’s improved by this reinvention because they were great to start with, but they’re given a whole new lease of life which has the potential to open up some exciting new possibilities.

Produced by local hero Dave Draper, This Is Not My Home sounds absolutely huge. It’s tricky to balance punk rock with clean melodies at the best of times, but in Draper’s capable hands, the record strikes the perfect tone. Every raw part feels that way, and every tuneful chorus rings out clearly. As experienced musicians, it was probably an easy decision for Lanterns to eschew the typical ‘do it at home on Garageband’ rite of passage for their debut, and it pays off extraordinarily well. Already, they’ve established what will surely become a signature sound, and it’s always nice to have a record that matches such a great live presence.

Lanterns have truly set the bar high so early in the year, and This Is Not My Home will surely be sticking around in your stereo for many months to come. Eloquent, heartfelt and charming, it’s one of the most impressive debuts I’ve heard in a long time and is a great sign of things to come.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!