Dutch melodic hardcore crew Screw Houston possess that party vibe that is instantly infectious and sets the tone well for an EP that makes up in enthusiasm where it lacks in substance and style.
‘All Rise’ nods to acknowledging one’s actions to reactions and has the punk vocal element seen in bands like Defeater. The guitar work in parts is really strong as are the growly vocals of front man Matthijs Krikke. ‘Follow The Herd’ continues on the same track and the vocal style is very similar to John Coffey with the whining and wailing, but the chorus parts are made of cheesier and far less stylish origins than their immediate competitors in this arena. The eventual singalong section of the song lacks a killer punch, but is still infectious enough to remain one of the better tracks on the EP.
‘Time To Breathe’ starts like they mean to step it up; the scream of vocalist Krikke suggests there are more layers to this band than immediately meets the eye, before the riff turns more poppy and reminiscent of bands like The Bouncing Souls, and the gravelly vocals steer the song again towards an infectious juxtaposition of grit and punk rock sentiment. There is an attempt at some vocal layering from what sounds like a female vocalist, the effect of it quickly diminished as it’s so short and without reason, before the final run-in returns to the aforementioned, all fading to obscurity if it were not for a rather mean guitar riff.
‘I Need Air’ begins to formalise suspicions that this band are much more pop-punk than melodic hardcore. Both the chorus and verse are incredibly upbeat and coated in sugar-soaked commercialism and to be honest, this track bleeds away into almost obscurity as the lack of originality shines through. The final track on this short offering from Screw Houston, ‘This Is Where We Part Ways’ begins with some “woahs” and punchy licks, but the cheese returns far too soon. It’s quite hard to remember the EP as five tracks, rather it blurs into one long 20-minute song.
Unfortunately, this EP doesn’t live up to expectation, however if you like listening to pop-punk rock from the mainland, washed in ten tonnes of sweet cheese, this is probably your bag.
DAVE BULL