There’s a weight of expectation attached when a new band appears that could be considered a ‘supergroup’. On the plus side, you can almost guarantee a certain level of attention, as fans of the members’ other bands (not to mention booking agents, press, etc.) will be eagerly awaiting new music. On the flip of that, you’re also walking straight into a level of scrutiny that a brand new band would not have to face. Having any kind of legacy in music, colours anything you’ll do in the future, so the pressure to live up to, or exceed those expectations, is vast.
The pedigree of Terrible Love’s ranks is incredibly high, their roll call being basically a who’s who of modern UK hardcore. Featuring members past and present of Funeral For A Friend, Bastions, Goodtime Boys and the criminally overlooked Grappler, the anticipation for the band’s first EP, ‘Change Nothing’, was at fever pitch when it dropped as a self-released free download back in January. Thankfully, anyone who took advantage of Terrible Love’s generosity was welcomed with one of the strongest début releases by a British band in recent memory, supergroup or not.
Now picked up for a wider physical release by Big Scary Monsters, ‘Change Nothing’ is a 5-song powerhouse of emotional hardcore. From the moment the EP bursts into life, it’s hard not to be immediately gripped by the devastating levels of passion on display. The sweeping guitar work and nimble drumming are reminiscent, but certainly not derivative, of bands like Touche Amore and Pianos Become The Teeth – a whirling mix of glimmering post-hardcore and punk fury.
Holding everything together is an impassioned, gut wrenching vocal performance by Jon Desmond (formerly of Grappler). Desmond’s delivery is stripped and raw, lacking in pretence and unnecessary Americanisms, as many UK bands often fall foul of. The lyrics and performance are personal and honest, from the confessional nature of the title track to the scathing attack of ‘They Need You’. A good frontman can make or break any band, especially one that’s entire sound and ethos rests on emotional honesty, and Terrible Love are endowed with one of the best Great Britain currently has to offer.
Though the EP has a short running time, a considerable amount of musical ground is covered. Second track ‘Mt. Misery’ bleeds with raging hardcore, and is by far the fastest moment of ‘Change Nothing’. In contrast, ‘They Need You’ brings the tempo down, throwing in some atmospheric nods to post-rock as it builds from gentle, tense verses to grand crescendos of crashing drums and walls of guitar. Final track ‘Sparrow’ pulls in all aspects of the band’s sound, as if it were the closing statement on a grand essay. Here all of the promises Terrible Love have made throughout the previous 4 tracks are brought to fruition, from it’s angular and intense opening to the sky-scorching finale.
The sound of the record itself fits the music perfectly, thanks to a spectacular production job by Lewis Johns. Every note shimmers through, the band opting not to bury their riffs in layers of distortion as many hardcore acts would by default. The EP sounds massive when it needs to, fragile and intimate at other times, yet the transitions are never jarring. The songwriting on display here is incredibly mature, as it should be really, considering the veteran status of all involved, and all is captured and sequenced perfectly.
The only shade to be thrown at ‘Change Nothing’ is that, at only 16 minutes long, the record is over before it feels like it’s even begun. If the worst a band can do is make you ache for more from them though, it’s hard to really consider that as an insult. This is without a doubt one of the best EPs released in a long time, and following recent tours with Rolo Tomassi and Jungbluth, Terrible Love’s star is only going to continue to rise. Though many of the members’ former bands are no more, it’s easy to say that their legacies are safe in the hands of these 5 men as they push forward into new musical territories. A full length album cannot come quick enough.
JAMES LEE