The mid 2000s were fantastic for post hardcore, characterised by the likes of Funeral for A Friend, Thursday and Underoath to name but a few. The production was rough and ready, the energy was high and the vocals were ever passionate. If you remember those days with fondness then you’ll appreciate Everyday Sidekicks’ latest EP ‘Hope’, which looks to revive some of those nostalgic flavours.
‘Glasshouse’ is immediately recognisable as an artefact of that period, featuring a blend of high register screamed vocals that go hand in hand with the energetic instrumentation, before transitioning into some cleaner, catchier vocals that deliver memorable hooks. ‘Bury Your Friends’ continues the theme, bringing another memorable chorus and similarly energetic instrumentation, rounding off a great introduction to the EP and the band’s sound.
However ‘Fracture’, with its alternative-metal riff that wouldn’t be out of place on an Exit Ten or Seether album, starts to take the record on a detour. Adding variation is always a welcome trait and while ‘Fracture’ achieves that, it’s at the expense of a jarring tangent rather than a natural progression. You could be forgiven for thinking this was a split EP, with another band picking up the baton halfway through; the clean vocals, which to this point felt in context with the overall sound, stick out like a sore thumb against the heavier riffs, particularly as it’s the most sugary sweet chorus of the record.
The lines are blurred further by ‘Business Secrets of the Pharaohs’ which dials up the heaviness even more to close out the EP in a metalcore style. There are no distracting clean vocals this time as the screams bombard you throughout, making for an excellent aggressive track to complete the record, but when you let ‘Hope’ cycle back round to the first track for another spin, it becomes apparent just how far removed the opening track is from the last.
Everyday Sidekicks can be commended for keeping the record varied and not sticking to one theme, but without a common thread holding all of the songs together, it’s hard to understand the band’s identity. There’s plenty on display here to convince you that Everyday Sidekicks are a band worth investing in – ‘Glasshouse’ and ‘Business Secrets of the Pharaohs’ in particular stand out – and if they can work out how to pull all of their choices together into one cohesive package, they’ll have a more refined sound that we can all get behind.
MARK JOHNSON