Review Summary: Essex newbies put out an impressive EP that oozes personality
Don't Worry, hailing from Essex in the UK, manage to bring out some of the most emotional and stunningly fresh music the British scene has to offer at the moment. Whilst not revolutionary by a long stretch, this band wears their influences on their sleeve in the best possible way; blending the folk punk witticisms of The Front Bottoms, the dreary and spaced-out riffs of Title Fight and the vocal charm of Moose Blood into a mature, cohesive package of 5 tracks.
Musically, this EP is pleasantly diverse; from the moody, laid back 'Opener' and 'In Conversation...', to the satisfyingly dreary but definitively more energetic 'Pyric Salamander', it takes in a variety of styles and approaches to songwriting in its 17 minute run time. Whilst none of these tracks are especially innovative in structure, they're never dull, 'Pyric...' being notable for the 4 melodic ideas it crams into its under-3-minute run time. None of these tracks feel overly cramped either, each idea playing out its logical conclusion, smoothly transitioning into the next. Guitar-wise, the EP isn't far from Moose Blood's earlier work, or some of the calmer tracks on Title Fight's Shed, with some of the drum work being reminiscent of earlier bands, hints of American Football's off-kilter fills littered across the track listing.
However, what really shines here are the vocals; charmingly imperfect, packing huge emotional punches into lines like 'you've got to question all the company you keep, do your friends stop you sleeping at night?'. From the anthemic chorus of probably the best track on the album, 'Three Nil', to the spoken word passage at the tail end of the same track and on 'Closed Book', there's a sense of matter-of-fact simplicity, being brutally honest about emotions and almost an outright rejection of the often pretentious metaphorical musings of many other bands in the genre.
Simply put, for a young band selling an EP for £3 on Bandcamp, this collection of songs is stunningly good. Whilst not unique, the tracks are packed with personality, bursting with charisma, emotion, and gentle adjustments and re-combinations of existing ideas that produce a truly engaging listen. An absolutely essential listen for anyone big on their emo or pop punk, these guys exhibit maturity and songwriting ability beyond their years, putting some of their scene's less inspired efforts to shame. An excellent start from a band who can only grow and get better from here.
