'Dreamers' Bounds Of Modesty EP Review

There are many different things associated with Amsterdam, such as canals, museums and of course the infamous coffee shops, but pop punk isn’t usually one of them. However, Bounds Of Modesty, a four-piece band that formed in 2009, are on a mission to change this with their latest EP ‘Dreamers’.

‘Dreamers’ is the soundtrack to Bounds Of Modesty’s latest feature film, which promises to tell the story of the friends chasing their dreams and the obstacles that they encounter on the way. Also, each of the five songs on ‘Dreamers’ claims to have its own signature instrument, such as banjos, harmoniums and ukuleles. Opening track ‘The Heart Wants’ is upbeat and fast-paced, which instantly catches your attention. Callum Stamp’s vocals are harmonic and striking, allowing you to really focus on the stories being told in the lyrics. The beautiful fusion of acoustic riffs and harrowing vocals pull at your heartstrings and leaves you desperate to hear more.

‘Superheroes’ is one of the slowest-paced songs on the album, however, the emotion-filled lyrics and stunning vocals are more than enough to keep you entertained.

Final track ‘Awake’ is not only just a great ending to ‘Dreamers’, it also proves that every song on the EP is enjoyable to listen to.  Although the orchestra-like composition of the song sounds nothing like pop-punk, they prove that they are multi-talented and unique.

Although Bounds Of Modesty are relatively unknown, many bands could learn a thing or two about multimedia from them. Every song is full of emotion and harmonies, proving that they are not just another pop punk band on the circuit: they are hard-working and talented musicians who deserve to have a much bigger fanbase.

Rating: 9/10

www.facebook.com/BoundsOfModesty 

Neck Deep at the Electric Ballroom, Camden (06/02/2015)

Neck Deep

Support: Trophy Eyes, Seaway, Knuckle Puck
06/02/2015

Themed tours are not something that often work well, but ‘The Intercontinental Championships Tour’ worked perfectly. Four pop-punk bands from four different countries, plus hundreds of foam hands and cheesy intro music lead to a ten-date UK tour filled with happy fans and energetic musicians. 

Opening the tour for the last time were Trophy Eyes (7/10), a five-piece Australian punk band. One of the most notable aspects of their performance was their pure energy and passion: it was easy to see how excited they were to be playing on a sold-out stage at the Electric Ballroom. The venue was packed out to the brim and vocalist John knew exactly how to engage with the crowd. Their catchy riffs and hard-hitting vocals made it almost impossible to stand still during their set and they left the stage with fans eagerly awaiting more.

Canadian pop-punk five-piece Seaway (8/10) proved their brilliance before they even arrived onto stage due to their opening song ‘Blame Canada’ from comedy television show South Park. Lead singer Ryan Locke spoke about how humbled they were to play in the UK for the first time and he genuinely seemed astounded at how many people were singing his lyrics back at him. One of the songs that the crowd seemed to engage with the most was ‘Alberta’, a slow paced pop-punk song which was full of angst and well-written lyrics. they informed the audience that they were filming a music video during their set, which seemed to increase the already-full energy levels of the crowd. 

Chicago-based punk-rock five piece Knuckle Puck (7/10) were next on the bill, walking onto stage to Van Halen’s classic hit ‘Jump’. Vocalist John Siorek was full of energy as constantly jumping around the stage and encouraging fans to move along with him. Playing songs such as ‘Your Back Porch’, ‘Stuck' and ‘No Good’, they were able to keep the crowd momentum high. The mixture of screaming and melodic backing vocals worked as well live as it does on their records, creating beautiful harmonies that worked well alongside their emotion-filled lyrical style.

“We thought we would do a wrestling tour because it would be funny!” Wrexham-based pop-punk heroes Neck Deep (9/10) graced the stage for the final time of this tour, and it is safe to say that they left it with a bang. Opening with ‘Losing Teeth’ they instantly made the crowd putty in their hands: there were mosh pits taking over most of the venue. Ben Barlow’s vocals were on top form and sounded even more powerful live. The happy-go-lucky band impressed crowds with songs such as ‘Damsel In Distress’, ‘Crushing Grief (No Remedy)' and ‘Sweet Nothings’. It is easy to see just how far that Neck Deep have come in just a year: “A year ago we were playing to two hundred people at The Barfly, today we are playing to 1000 people!” Their popularity has not only been increased by social networking websites, but also the hard-work and dedication that they put into each and every live show. One of the most memorable moments of the evening was their acoustic rendition of ballad ‘A Part Of Me’, with Laura Whiteside joining Ben on stage to create a beautiful and harmony-filled performance. Despite the curfew being at 9.45pm, Neck Deep managed to play an impressive seventeen songs and left the crowd feeling satisfied and impressed by such raw and passionate music. They may call themselves generic pop-punk, but their performance was anything but ordinary. 

www.facebook.com/neckdeepuk / www.twitter.com/NeckDeepUK
www.facebook.com/KnucklePuckIL / www.twitter.com/KnucklePuckIL
www.facebook.com/seawayoakville / www.twitter.com/seawayband 

www.facebook.com/trophyeyesmusic / www.twitter.com/trophyeyesmusic 

'Mend, Move On' Trophy Eyes Album Review

Record label: Hopeless Records
Release date: 4^th November 2014

Trophy Eyes are a pop punk/melodic hardcore band from Newcastle. Despite only forming in February 2013, the five-piece are currently touring Australia, before coming back to the UK early next year to join Neck Deep on the road. The band recently found success after releasing their debut EP 'Everything Goes Away' in April, and now they're back again to prove exactly why they're so popular with their new album 'Mend, Move On'.

Trophy Eyes waste no time getting into the party spirit: first track 'My Name On Paper' is full of energy and traditional pop-punk riffs. There is something almost nostalgic about the lyrics that John Floreani is screaming, which is no surprise as he has been quoted in Alternative Press saying that their debut album is about “made up of the stories and memories that I think defined my life so far and acted as lessons through out my transition from adolescence to adulthood.”

'Come Clean' has a haunting vibe, which is emphasised by the unpredictable rhythm of the song. Yet again, the lyrics are particularly striking, which may be one of the reasons that Trophy Eyes are gaining fans across the world so quickly. The themes of broken relationships and yearning for the past are similar features all across the pop punk genre, however, there is something different about Trophy Eyes. The sophistication and talent of the musicians is apparent in every song on the album; they do not sound like a new band that needs to rehearse more, but their music still sounds fresh and exciting.

The first song to be released from 'Mend, Move On' is 'In Return', a catchy and riff-filled punk song. The screaming and singing vocals merge beautifully, making it one of the best songs on the album. 'Choke' is another song that stands out; despite only being one minute long, it breaks up the album nicely and proves that Trophy Eyes are just as good at writing slow songs as they are at writing fast-paced punk bangers.

The easiest comparison for similar bands to Trophy Eyes would be Neck Deep, so it's pretty handy that they will be touring together in January. From the vibe of their songs, they should hopefully be an impressive live band too. All in all, 'Mend, Move On' is a brilliant first album from Trophy Eyes. If you're a fan of pop-punk and want a fresh and exciting new band to listen to, then this album is definitely for you.

Rating: 8/10

www.facebook.com/trophyeyesmusic
https://twitter.com/trophyeyesmusic