ALBUM REVIEW: Science Fiction – Thee MVPs

THEE MVPS are a four-piece band hailing from Leeds. With a hefty amount of touring under their collective belts and receiving critical acclaim from the press, there’s a lot riding on their debut effort Science Fiction. Known for their hard work ethic, will this debut album showcase the band’s potential?

Opening song Ship Episode, Planet Episode is a fast-paced punk song that is reminiscent of MINOR THREAT. However, all comparisons stop there as the band take on their own meaning of punk ast hey smoothly transition from hardcore punk to guitar rock and back again without sounding out of place. For a band’s debut album, you would be worried that the band could potentially start off on the wrong foot but this is defiantly not the case for THEE MVPS, who arrive with a bang.

Don’t let the shortness of Causality fool you. Despite being more mellow than the previous song, it still holds a lot of impact. Leaning towards the more rock side of things, the band show how versatile they can be with their brand of music. Keen to not let the momentum slow down, A Song for Councillor combines the punk and the mellow sound of the previous numbers, and throws them into a stirring pot. This song has everything; gang vocals, guitar solos and lots of energy. Despite that mixture, everything fits together perfectly.

You Ain’t It, unfortunately, falls short of its potential, as the vocals are slightly lacking in energy but despite this, the song is still fun, thanks to the guitars and the production. Midway song, HAL, is a sombre song that slows down the energy of the album. Thankfully, this is not a bad thing due to the album’s variety and allows a welcome respite for you to catch your breath. Due to the lack of instrumentation involvement, the vocals here really carry the song. Ranging from shouting to spoken word throughout the five minute runtime, the diversity of the band’s range really shows here.

The final half of Science Fiction starts off with SESH , a mellow punk number that resembles itself as the sibling of You Ain’t It. And whilst it is slightly unimpressive due to the lack of energy, it could be because Super Contactable stole that energy. Thanks to its heavy punk instrumentation and shout-driven vocal work, it is a strong contender with the opener for best song on the album.

The album finishes with impressive closer US Airways (Final Flight). The seven minute song seems to be a summary of the entire album. This is due to there being everything from guitar solos to mellow moments to high punk energy. It should not work on paper, but THEE MVPS find a way to smoothly transition between these elements.

Despite some weaker moments scattered around the album, Science Fiction is a very strong debut album from THEE MVPS. Filled with a variety of styles from across the punk and rock spectrum, THEE MVPS‘ talent and hard work has paid off. From the opening song to the closing song, there is something in this album for everyone.

Rating: 8/10

Science Fiction is out now via Eeasy Records.

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