EofE have been steadily developing a dedicated fan base for the last two years and have finally realised their self-titled debut album, ‘EofE’. Is it exciting? Perhaps not, but they are another reason why British rock is something that remains a popular and accessible genre.
‘Get Caught’ storms in as an addictive start to the album with powerful guitars and dancing drums and plenty of lead singer Tom Harris’ unique vocal style. It’s high without being whiney; a radio-friendly twang with a rocky grittiness to it. ‘Wake Up’ follows with the catchiest chorus of the lot.
‘Save The Night’ and ‘Lifeboat’ are as close to a ballad as you’re going to get. There aren’t any heart-wrenching, emotional tunes on the record but every song charges along while maintaining the alternative charm that the emo in us finds appealing.
In terms of lyricism, it’s what you’d expect from a band compared to You Me At Six and Mallory Knox. “And with tears in my eyes, I’ll hang up the phone” (‘Bridges’) might be a little too sappy for some. If you’re in to that sort of thing, a fan’s Twitter account ‘EofE Lyrics‘ is dedicated to their penmanship.
You’re not going to hear anything innovative from songs ‘Only Get Better’ and ‘Y.O.U’. They’re alternative rock songs that will probably be named anthems and crowd pleasers, but this identikit set up of most pop punk record songs seems unimpressive when you’ve heard it so many times before.
Growing melodies and gloom pop verses save the songs from monotony, however, and ‘Waiting For Olivia’ is a prime example of an enjoyable rock hit that wouldn’t be out of place in the charts with its sing-a-long choruses and climactic ending. The album finishes with a group vocal that’s classic in this sort of genre but it fades away rather than ending with a bang.
It’s the right time for an accessible rock band to release an album like this with bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Twin Atlantic storming up the charts. It’s a sound we’ve heard before but in a few years EofE will be one of those bands that people describe as bursting on to the scene when in fact they’ve been at it for years.
KATHRYN BLACK