Reviewed by Josh Dipple

Northumberland-based three-piece The Steels recently announced they are calling it a day so presumably this seven-song mini-album is their swansong. One of the first things the listener notices about this album is the "interesting" production, including a snare drum that sounds like a pencil flicking against a tin of Quality Street. A shame, because the talent of the musicians here is undeniable. The songs are well crafted and bring a kind of energy that is truly refreshing, with opening track "Light Up" showing well the band's intent for the rest of the EP, with big reverb-drenched guitars coupled with powerful melodies. The lyrics here, while not always the most poetic or original ("Wonder In My Heart" containing some of the more dubious lyrics) are fairly solid and fit the songs well enough. The album hits its musical peak with "All My Life", which starts with a riff worthy of any stadium-filling band of the last few decades.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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