EP REVIEW: Eyes Beyond Reflection – In The Cards

Staffordshire based quartet IN THE CARDS set out to release their first EP Eyes Beyond Reflection. With a few years behind them playing alongside the likes of ARCANE ROOTS, DREAM STATE and MALLORY KNOX to name a few, have the band finally collect their material into a record that demonstrates their enthusiasm and energy?

Kicking off, Mazes begins with vocals from Amy Colclough, clear and distinct. Her voice has none of the usual worries of female vocalist trying to mimic the iconic, but massively imitated Hayley Williams. It works within the band’s perimeters of pop-punk, which for sure takes a handle from early PARAMORE, but it’s a relief to see that IN THE CARDS are striving to carve their own path. The track itself has plenty of energy; a stomping breakdown and a solid riff gives the tail end of the track a real push to keep you interested. Beautiful Silence is plays around with the more funk-driven side of the genre. Good hooks and bouncing guitars, heartfelt lyrics all amount to some good fun. It’s not wholly imaginative in its structure, but the show of strong and genuinely distinct vocals with a band that sounds and feels determined and animated is very promising.

There’s a little more flare with The Only Thing, taking the their influences from others in the genre like THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS, while allowing more of their own stamp as a band to press home demonstrates something original lurks within this collective. Passionate, a little angry, but allows for frank emotional delivery. Again, IN THE CARDS have really tapped into that catchy pop-punk rhythm. Hopefully with more strong tracks like this, there is some real promise for what this band can achieve. Slowing things down on penultimate track Careful, a gentle melody flows from calm guitars and tender basslines. The build to something more majestic and atmospheric is good, there’s plenty of power and emotion. If this kind of track were to push its boundaries a little further, and mess with some of the dynamics, the potential of IN THE CARDS would be top of the game.

Finishing on Hollow Hearts, there’s a little vibe of PVRIS in the emotional theme, with the mood and sombre tone. The beat is bright and driven, the focal melody is good, but the solo work needs some improvement on really bringing home that essence of what the band can achieve; it’s apparent in the overall track, but the instant where it counts, the moment falters. The ending is somewhat abrupt, but not offensively so, it’s just as shame a real punch to the gut doesn’t land.

As a collective, with the sentiments of the band’s influences, a really strong and distinct vocal performance, IN THE CARDS have a massive potential from the sounds of this EP. There are some very promising, bright and emotional deliveries in places, and while certain moments are a little too cookie-cutter, should the band expand their ideas just a little more, their horizons are vast. A promising start from some bright new talent, we should for sure be watching this space.

Rating: 7/10

Eyes Beyond Reflection is out now via self-release.

For more information on IN THE CARDS like their official page on Facebook.