[avatar =”Mosh” size=”50″ align=”left” /]”Pop punk” often gets a bad rap, which I think is a bit of a shame. Sure, its fan base is often quite young and emo-tinged. But would you rather the kids were listening to shit like last week’s X-Factor winner? I know I wouldn’t.
The thing is, there are a ton of good bands producing fast-tempo, catchy, teen-friendly rock and there’s nothing wrong with it. Hell, some of it’s a guilty pleasure for a couple of us here at Moshville Towers! Allow me to introduce you to a promising newcomer to the field, Diamond Days.
Based in NW England, they’re typically (and annoyingly) young and have just released their debut EP We’ve Come A Long Way. It follows on from a very successful debut single, “Start It From The End”, which got them quite a bit of attention.
The four tracks here are incredibly accessible, foot-tapping examples of what a young band can produce if they put their minds to it. They’ve even got a guest appearance from Yashin’s Harry Radford on the third track “I Rewind”.
Opener “Let Go” reminds me of Papa Roach (which I know will instantly turn some people off but, hey, I like them). It’s straight in with the hooks and has that dark edge to it. “Home (A Million Miles Away)” throws in a few electronic effects near the beginning but is overall quite a bright and melodic song.
The aforementioned “I Rewind” is the kicker, though. The guest vocals are just the icing on the kind of cake you want to eat until you’re sick just so you can eat it all over again.
“You’re Not Alone” is the perfect choice for the end of the EP, feeling like the song you’re sign off with before leaving stage. It’s typical synchonised arm-waving fare that leaves a crowd wanting more.
For a debut EP, it’s cracking and if you’re an angsty teen (or a grown-up who wants to relive those days, or indeed a parent of such an angsty teen) then it’s well worth getting hold of a copy.
We’ve Come A Long Way was released on 17th November 2014 and is available on Google Play, Amazon, Spotify and iTunes.
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