EP REVIEW: Foundations – Our City Fires

Leicester five-piece, OUR CITY FIRES, broke into the alternative rock scene in 2018 with their self titled EP. Since then the band have been supporting the likes of INME and ALEXIS KINGS, whilst also writing their new EP, Foundations. The band has said they have changed their writing style since their first EP, and that Foundations is much more organic.

The opening track, Had It All, begins with some lightly strummed chords, but quickly transitions into a snappy riff and drum beat. The vocals of this song are very pleasing to the ear, with vocalist Danny Richardson showing he has a pretty good vocal range as he hits some admirable notes and tones. The guitar and bass work really well together on this track, creating some riffs with some impact and paired with the melodic vocals, they make for a memorable song. The band have said this song is “from the perspective of a person who’s had everything stripped away whilst trying to come to terms with heartache” and you can sense the true emotion which is being displayed through Richardson’s passionate vocal deliveries.

The next track, You By Design, opens with a strong riff and rhythms again, but the song seems to follow a similar pattern to the previous number, opening with a quieter riff and then dropping into a more rhythm-heavy section accompanied by vocals. They then both have a similar sounding chorus. This pattern seems to repeat on other tracks on the EP which makes the songs seem less individual, yet on this particular song there is a breakdown-esque section which does capture your attention.

The title track of the EP, Foundations, again is memorable due to its differences from the previous tracks, being more focused on the melodies rather than riffs or beat drops. However, there isn’t one particular part of this track that stands out, as it is all relatively similar. The EP lacks variation, with the majority of the tracks sounding quite repetitive, yet saying that, as standalone tracks they are all good on their own individual merits.

Overall, Foundations is good in terms of catchy individual songs, but as a collective, the songs sound too similar when played one after another. OUR CITY FIRES definitely have the potential to be a great and well received band, but this EP doesn’t showcase their potential to its fullest amount.

Rating: 6/10

Foundations is out now via self-release.

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