Labels: Keystone Ember
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this – it was listed as being upbeat, poppy, fast and influenced by indie emo. Sounded good to me. But having played it a few times, I’m still pondering the emo part.
This 4 track EP owes a lot more to belting pop punk than your typical indie emo band. All the songs blast a long at quite a speed, and you’re treated to some highly quality, poppy hardcore tracks. Opener “I-81” is a nice introduction. Incessantly toe-tapping and highly catchy, its good stuff. And I was equally impressed by each of the other 3 songs. “Epiphany” steams off at a million miles per hour in an almost Fat Wreck style. And it brings to the table the first glimpse of the spectacular yelling that Bedford see fit to drop into their songs. The sporadic bursts of screaming are ace, and don’t detract from the song at all.
Then on the flip side they come up with “Rest of You” and “3 Ring Circus”. The former is much in the same vein as “Epiphany”, scorching through whilst dragging a great tune a long in the dust behind it. Its perhaps a little less pop than the other stuff, especially when they start hollering “1, 2, 3, 4 – 3, 4!”. I defy you to keep a straight face. Quality melodical hardcore stuff. They round things out with “3 Ring Circus” which once more tears it up.
I’m not always partial to the manic pace of this sort of music, but Bedford do it in such a cool way that I can’t complain – pop tunes, great vocals, smart guitars, and awesome bellowing. If you like Idlewilds better songs (“Everyone Says You’re So Fragile”, “Last Night I Missed All The Fireworks” etc.) then you have to track this one down.
I must end the review now, as I have run out of similes for describing shouting and playing fast.