British rock band Fort Hope have a huge festival season ahead of them, playing at all the big stops on the circuit. Having been heralded more and more by critics and fans alike recently, the three piece from Hertfordshire have high expectations to meet if they want to get people into the tents. Their new EP ‘Manne of Lawe’ attempts to capitalise on their momentum and give you a taste of what to expect on their summer run.
Featuring the remains of My Passion (with any luck you won’t remember them), the band know what small time success feels like. Opener ‘That’s The Way The River Flows’ clearly shows they’re ready to take the next steps. Sounding similar to early Mallory Knox and with a slither of 80s glam rock, the song has a belting chorus and guitar hooks with plenty of swagger behind them.
‘Ode To You’ is an inoffensive pop rock song which shows that the band have a deep chemistry together that doesn’t come overnight. Jon Gaskin’s vocals undoubtedly shine and soar through with a distinctive style and a firm grasp on the bigger notes he hits. The singer’s almost musical theatre style melodies are the most capturing parts of the EP by far.
‘Come Clean’ displays diversity in their skills and a softer side to the band, but for a track as slow in tempo as this to be placed in the middle of a fifteen minute EP, it loses all of its pace. As nice as a song as it is, it would have been better placed on a full length on where it could thrive in giving the listener a breather. Breathers aren’t needed on EPs.
What comes next is even more disappointing. Instead of another new track that could have brought the EP back to life, Fort Hope have ended it with a pointless alternative version of the opening track. Stripping away the glam vibe that made it sound so original in the first place and being replaced by acoustic guitars, it does little to impress.
Luckily, Fort Hope are infinitely better than their previous incarnation, but with pop-punk as the current focus of the market, it might take them a little longer to get a taste of the spotlight than it would have a few years ago. However, ‘Manne of Lawe’ shows that the band have all the skills to put them in the same position as the likes of Young Guns, Don Broco and Deaf Havana, that being at the top of the British rock scene. With another full-length album that displays what they’re best at and with a more improved song selection/structure than this EP, they will be well on their way.
LOUIS KERRY