‘Everything You Never Wanted’ is the début EP from Essex-based Safe Side and it’s a promising if somewhat unpolished release. Entirely self-produced, it does a great job of helping the band carve out an identity of their own in a tightly packed scene.
‘Castlemaine’ kicks things off, and it’s a sixty-four second burst of high tempo instrumental pop-punk where Safe Side showcase their skill for writing impressively catchy riffs. It’s also likely to be many people’s introduction to the band and, despite it’s brevity, chances are it will provide enough of a hook to draw people into giving ‘Everything You Never Wanted’ a few spins at least.
‘Brain Dead’ builds upon the momentum built by ‘Castlemaine’ and again showcases Safe Side’s ear for melody and their talent for fast riffing. In a debate that will seemingly go on forever, pop-punk bands from anywhere other than the USA and Canada often attract a fair bit of attention because of how they deliver their vocals, finding themselves caught in a catch-22 whether they adopt a Transatlantic drawl or not. Safe Side sound unmistakably British and Frank Yates’ natural delivery improves with each song, although they’re a bit hit and miss on ‘Brain Dead’. ‘Undertow’ is a definite improvement vocally, but it lacks the killer chorus to really make the most of its potential.
Whilst the rest of the EP shows tons of promise as Safe Side throw themselves into every note of every song, it’s final track ‘Critical’ that’s the highlight. Sounding a lot like a home-grown Knuckle Puck, there’s an intensity and vulnerability to it that, although not missing from the rest of the EP, isn’t perhaps as well realised as it is here. The drums hit hard, the guitars buzz, and everything comes together brilliantly.
There’s not a bad song on ‘Everything You Never Wanted’ and Safe Side barely put a foot wrong. The odd misstep, such as a muffled attempt at gang vocals, and occasionally underwhelming lyrics are easily forgiven on a début release. There’s plenty here for pop-punk fans to enjoy, and the ideas at the heart of ‘Everything You Never Wanted’ suggest that Safe Side will continue to improve with each future release and are definitely ones to keep an eye on.
CHRIS HILSON