If there’s one thing the Brits have always been good at, it’s producing consistently diverse and capable musicians – and it feels like fans of alt-rock and pop punk are especially spoiled for choice when it comes to homegrown talent at the moment. Bedfordshire’s ‘Seasons’ are one of the latest to join those ranks, and after two years of fairly relentless touring they’ve produced their third EP, ‘Chapters’.
Wasting no time in grabbing your attention, the opening track ‘Getaway’ is in the perfect position to draw in any listeners – an upbeat track complete with catchy riffs and singalong woah-infested choruses. It’s no surprise that this was released as the lead single, though it’s a short and sweet one at less than three minutes. The instant highlight is Grant Tuff’s warm, powerful vocals; both soothing and energising in equal measure and at all the right moments.
Similarities to the now sadly disbanded Exit Ten become noticeable as the EP progresses, with super clean vocals and poppy melodies sitting comfortably alongside heavier, metal-influenced guitars and explosive drums. It’s as energetic and punchy throughout as you could hope for – with only 5 tracks, there’s no room for filler ballads – and each song builds on the atmosphere of the last. Mellow verses power into big, melodic choruses that will undoubtedly translate well to a live stage (crowd hollering along with the words and all). It all leads to final track ‘Consequences’; by far the best song and a solid demonstration of just what this band is capable of. Though it’s frustrating to end here, it’s also smart – “leave them wanting more” as they say, and Seasons delivered. They may have a name that is bordering on un-Googleable (which is definitely a word), but it’s well worth the effort of wading through Wiki pages about the weather to find them.
The only drawback in this otherwise strong collection of songs is that the depth in Tuff’s voice is almost betrayed by lyrics that can lack originality in places. There are enough hints of brilliance, though, to indicate that they are still maturing as a group and the raw talent is there to keep getting better. There’s a huge, polished overall sound to ‘Chapters’ that feels like it comes from a band with more than a couple of years and a handful of EPs under their belt, so it’s surely only a matter of time before they will be releasing full length albums that bring together all their best elements from start to finish.
Oh, and if you’re still struggling to find them on everyone’s favourite search engine, just add “band UK”.