EP REVIEW: 2005 – South Arcade

It has been one week since Oxford Gen Z rockers SOUTH ARCADE released their debut EP 2005, having only debuted as a band two years ago. The foursome, comprised of lead singer Harmony Cavelle, guitarist Harry Winks, bassist Ollie Green and drummer Cody Jones, are one of the UK’s fastest growing bands in the scene with an impressively 450k Spotify listeners thanks to their prolific online social media presence.

Aptly named, this record leans into their “Y2kcore” sound and follows a wave of soft-rock singles inspired by the era. The eponymous title track 2005 launches the record by pushing the listener into the metaphorical pit with a sharp drum kick and begins to show off a more experimental style of production across the record compared to the band’s previous releases. However, whilst strong, there is something that is left to be desired after the gradual build to the bridge – a powerful vocal slide or crashing drum solo would peak the song but instead the energy drops slightly.

Moving into the softer MOTH KIDS, the early noughties grunginess can be clearly felt and beautifully complements Cavelle’s adenoidal tone. The bridge is the real stand-out here – the infectious delightful wordplay of “misunderstood, overlooked, tired and hopeless, they can never control us” is youthful and the chants beckon the listener into a mosh, backed by a suave merriment of guitar and kick drums. The song is beautifully layered, with all four members playing in sync, and the standout of the EP.

SOUTH ARCADE are slowly perfecting their soundtrack and it is subtlety shown throughout the record. Their lyrical structure has softened and is more loose and playful with ad-libs and vocal FX, perfectly exemplified on HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER. The random car key sound effect does feel more like engagement bait for social media than a harmonious audio choice but nevertheless, each song does not feel overly juvenile. All are well crafted and polished, beyond what one might expect from such a green band. Across the board, the content of the songs are playful and engaging if not a little emotionally simplistic. stone cold summer, Riptide (and the rest of their discography) perfectly captured the youthful nature of young adult romances and frustrations and, like all good things, just needs a few years to marinate and mature.

SOUTH ARCADE have bared their teeth with this EP; their flair is starting to show but there is ample room for them to push it even more and lean deeper into the grit and grunge with more adventurous vocal styles and heavier riffs. Whilst their origins have come from jamming together in a garage, 2005 shows that SOUTH ARCADE are ready to evolve and collaborate on a more professional setting. Their teeth may not be fangs just yet, but they are definitely sharp and their milk teeth have long fallen away.

Rating: 7/10

2005 is out now via LAB Records.

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