Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

A five-track EP, financed courtesy of government student loans (ouch!), from a band who appear to mainly be students in Sheffield. A risky proposition and yet listening to this, they've done a really good job in creating moody atmospheric rock music that will appeal to their peers! Singer Jon Ireland is capable of being both haunting ("Beautiful Eyes") and Bono ("Run-Away") whilst still managing to create his own identity. Musically, the band's guitar based sound is enigmatic with huge amounts of vibe thrown into the pot. The gorgeous "Hold On" which closes the EP is a mellow song of comfort for a distressed friend, whilst the opener "Flying High* is a the sort of conversation every student has at three o'clock in the morning set to a catchy chunky guitar riff. Overall, this is an imaginatively recorded, clean sounding, strong EP and I can think of two admirable reasons why you should shell out some cash for it. Firstly, musically it does the business. Secondly, pity these guys - do you really want them spending the first five years of their working lives paying off that student loan?

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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