EP REVIEW: Tight, But Not Groundbreaking – Molars
The UK pop punk scene is in desperate need of some new blood, and newly formed Nottingham based pop punk trio MOLARS aim to be the band to hook everyone in with their upbeat, drum-centric and anthemic tunes. But the title of their debut EP, Tight, But Not Groundbreaking, stands as a foreshadowing of the tracks being underwhelming.
Delving into the EP, with the single White Walls you’re instantly uplifted within the first 30 seconds of the song. The upbeat and lively feel of the song unconsciously makes you tap your foot along and nod your head to the rapid beat of the drums and the roaring tunes of the guitar. The vibrancy of White Walls is reminiscent of tunes you’d hear from FALL OUT BOY, so you’re hooked and hopeful. But, liking a fraction of the song is not enough of a reason to keep an ear out and keep listening on. As you soon realise that the flat, dull and disengaged tone of the vocalist Chris Fahy‘s voice makes you lose interest before the end of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBkK_nD39eM&feature=youtu.be
One of the more interesting tracks is No Words, which features alternative solo artist Lizzy Farrall. Farrall is the interesting factor of No Words, due to her voice’s pure soulfulness. But the production decision of making her and Fahy belt out the chorus together was a poor one and gave an amateur, unpolished and messy feel to the song. But, by doing so they prevented the lime light from being inevitably stolen by Farrall.
A running problem of Tight, But Not Groundbreaking is the obvious contradiction of the liveliness of the instruments in contrast with the dull tone of the vocals. We hear this again on Front Seat a song that begins with an impressively aggressive drum solo but then Fahy begins to sing with that same disengaged tone which goes against the anthemic vibrancy of the blazing drums and electric riffs of the guitar. But, then your interest is peaked again with the song Untitled which is the standout track of the EP and one where you can hear the potential of the trio. Fahy sounds like a young Gerard Way from his earlier and more unpolished work. Untitled is also by far the most lyrically intriguing to listen to as Fahy sings “These thoughts are creeping out / The way that they creeped in / They’re cracking in my throat’’ The rich yet relatable aspect of the lyrics and the angst and frustration that they echo is what makes you hopeful for MOLAR‘s future.
MOLARS, got one thing right about their EP – this is most certainly not ground-breaking! Though Tight, But Not Groundbreaking oozes potential, with lacklustre and “samey” sounding tracks it is one that is easily forgotten and skipped over in the already saturated sea of music. The major flaw of this album is that none of their songs had a catchy chorus which is at the heart of pop punk music. The instrumental work is their strongest, but the dull tone of the Fahy’s voice is what lets them down. So, is Tight, But Not Groundbreaking worth a place on your playlist? The answer is a resounding ‘No,’ as they bring nothing unique to the listening table.
Rating: 4/10
Tight, But Not Groundbreaking is out now via self-release.
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