Impossible to ignore, the debut EP from My Only ‘This Room & You’ is a raucous affair. ‘A Little (Less)’ opens with a racing drum solo, drives towards an unforgiving middle, and ends with a gentler vocal outro. It’s noise but it’s polished, each emotionally-charged lyric carried along by another powerful hook.
For a song crammed with the nostalgia of early noughties scream-fronted bands and the softer moments of your favourite emo artists, ‘I Had to Pay For Every Breath I Took’ is a smash. It’s faultless, reminiscent of bands like Million Dead alongside a thrashing punk energy and a melodic, emo tone that cuts through its boisterous drums. Packing plenty into 184 seconds, you’ll be gasping for breath by the end of it and desperate to hear it all over again.
‘Saboteur’ initially holds back, its 30 second intro entirely instrumental, before vocalist Jon takes over, anguish felt in every growl. Group vocals, soaring guitars, and an eerily quiet drum solo to end proceedings all make for a stop-and-think moment. The soft, whispering introduction to ‘No World Without You’ contrasts with an unstoppable energy. Throaty vocals and kinetic guitars pull the track along in every direction before reaching a conclusion that’s somehow both cacophonous and tuneful.
After the release of the ‘Saboteur’ video there was never any doubt the east England rockers’ EP would be anything other than brilliant. My Only, while still relatively unknown, have already surpassed all our expectations and this blistering effort is sure to blow the roof off the underground music scene.
KATHRYN BLACK