kittiwake – and so she thinks

Secret Rivals – Start Fires

admin — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:33:18 +0000

Kittiwake Records
Michael Huggins

When listening to Secret Rivals’ debut EP you instantly get the sense that they enjoy writing their music. The upbeat feel to each song, especially the first track ‘It Would Be Colder Here Without You’, catches you and pulls you in, and mood permitting even makes you break into a smile. This is soon followed by ‘Slow Learner’, a song that opens with a guitar riff not far from the sound of pop/punk rock legends Blink 182 and carries on to blend it with clearly sounding British Indie beats and vocals. This combination leads to a song that would easily be at home on programmes such as ‘Skins’ and festivals such as T in the Park. ‘Prone to Explosions’ is a perfect finale to this EP in that it leaves you wanting more. In a way this could also be one of the downfalls of this little number.

You don’t get the sense that the band has varied very much or strayed from a sound they have become calmly comfortable with, however, this isn’t to say its a bad EP, quite the contrary, being released just before the summer means that it quickly slots itself into any music lovers ‘Playlist for the Summer’.

Personally, I think this band have created a firm foothold on their music career, not shying away from playing their own music and bringing a new, bold mix of Indie beats and Pop/Punk riffs that will allow them to shine in a music industry that so quickly overlooks up and coming bands. I believe that anybody who listens to this EP will instantly fall in love with it and like all good music, each and every listener will have a different reason for their love.

Alphabet Backwards – The Superhero EP

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:32:19 +0000

Kittiwake Records

Oxford five piece alphabet backwards have all that is required to become a mainstream success: bundles of energy, good looks and most importantly fantastic ‘pop’ tunes. The self titled debut mini-album received some great reviews, but not the radio airplay or commercial sales that it deserved. Now, alphabet backwards are back with ‘The Superhero EP’ (to be released on November 22^nd), and the timing couldn’t be better, as their fun, summer songs are sure to brighten up the darkest of winter nights. EP opener ‘Collide’ starts with the beautiful voice of lead singer James Hitchman easing us in to the joyous blend of drums, guitars, synths and co-vocalist Steph Ward. ‘Blink of an eye’ and ‘Yesterday in June’ take a similar format, although the latter is a slightly more chilled affair; probably to let you recover from the inevitable dancing that would have occurred during the prior two songs.
The Superhero EP continues from where the mini album left off, using the same successful formula of clever lyrics and melodies that make you grin like a Cheshire cat whilst dancing like you are seven (if you can’t remember: bouncing around the room, waving your arms in any direction they care to flail, having OD’d on blue Smarties). With all the doom and gloom in the press about budget cuts and double dips, alphabet backwards are exactly the type of release that the nation needs. They may not exactly be the answer to our fiscal problems that Mr Cameron was looking for, but at least they are guaranteed to put smiles on our faces. Which is what matters.