Like Giants, Sovereign - EP review
Shropshire pop-punkers Like Giants have had a busy three months.
They didn't even exist before that. And already they have their debut EP out as well as gathering enough support to land a slot on the Fireball UK Fuelling The Fire Tour at Birmingham's O2 Academy alongside Less Thank Jake and Goldfinger.
Telford vocalist Daniel Kai, aged 29, is joined by 30-year-old Newport drummer Ben Caddy and two 26-year-olds from Shrewsbury - bassist Billy Clapham and Sam Price on guitars - to make up the quartet.
More coverage:
And their tight energy and long-standing relationships as mates immediately gives Like Giants a little extra to make them stand out above some of their contemporaries.
The usual staples of the genre are here - big vocal choruses ready-made to scream along to at live shows; agitated guitars; pummelling percussion.
But there's more than just another pop-punk record here - and perfect polishing from Matt O'Grady (You Me At Six, Don Broco, Deaf Havana) at his basement studio in Woking really adds to this.
There's an added ferocity to proceedings - particularly the energetic and flame-fuelled riffs that dance and smash off the eardrums throughout Cut And Run. The pace is frantic here as we build to the reach-out-and-shout chorus where Kai really lets his voice loose. The break-down two thirds of the way through with its grunge-meets-Limp Bizkit depths is a treat.
Beauty Queen is a lighter affair but still holds that same infectious energy at its core. When you hear Kai talk about their fledgling career with the enthusiasm he does it's easy to see how that transfers into the music, in particular here in Caddy's stick work.
The Poet has more an emo twinge to it with Kai's vocals containing more of a pained teenager feel to them and the guitars sloshing about like jagged limbs in the world's tightest mosh pit.
And the opener Right In The Childhood is the poppiest of the lot with its big, hopeful intro that opens into the machine gun percussion throughout.
They don't try to pull down any boundaries here, just show their true colours via their own slant on the genre. Their varied influences - Disney soundtracks to The Rat Pack - should see them expand as they gain in confidence.
Rating: 6/10
