Nottingham Pop-Punkers Layby have sailed a stormy sea over the last year. They parted ways with vocalist Aaron Bowes and Miles Kent stepped in to take on vocal duties. ‘Life’s Great Illusions’ was recorded while Bowes was still in the band, but as any smalltime DIY band will attest it is not cheap to rework months of hard work, and the record is a gratifying way for the band to pay homage to Aaron as they take their next step following ‘Bombsite’, released in June last year.
‘Soundcheck’ starts things off, and it is just what the title suggests; something you would expect to hear outside the backdoor of a venue before a show starts. As an opening track it’s a slow starter, but it’s quick, painless, and before you know it the first single ‘Chronic’ has kicked in. ‘Chronic’ is catchy, full of life and reminiscent of Neck Deep’s ‘Rain In July’. It’s rare but enjoyable to hear a UK accent coming from a UK Pop-Punk band, and the “stand up and forget yourself” sing-a-long delivered in a Nottinghamshire accent is surprisingly powerful and passion-filled.
‘Where I Stand’ give’s the EP a good change of pace. The half-time feel to the chorus is refreshing, sprinkled with traditional pop-punk lyrics about hating life and failing. This is a running theme throughout, and although predictable, the lyrics are sung with great conviction; there is clearly an abundance of heart and emotion behind them. ‘Kicking and Screaming’ treads similar lyrical ground, but boasts a strong vocal and jam-packed rhythm section to compliment it.
‘Losing Faith’ is the final and stand out track on the EP. Shouted vocals give the song a sense of urgency lacking in earlier tracks. The band spoke about “not always knowing where you’re going” and “life getting flipped on its’ head” when discussing the release on their Bandcamp page. This track shines a light on these themes, pleasingly tying up the record and injecting a little more personality into the final minutes of the release.
It would have been nice to see the guys branch out and do something different with this EP as it doesn’t show a huge amount of musical progression from ‘Bombsite’. All in all ‘Life’s Great Illusions’ is a solid board for the band to spring off. Now they have a more secure line up, they can grasp at more touring opportunities and come into their own in 2015.
LUCINDA LIVINGSTONE