Bull See Red - Chinatown Part 2
Having already impressed us with their debut mini-album 'A Girl Called Murder' and their excellent EP 'Chinatown Part 1', Exeter quartet Bull See Red have gone from strength to strength and unsurprisingly their new follow-up record is no exception.
Picking up perfectly where their energetic debut EP left off, the second instalment in the series, aptly-titled 'Chinatown Part 2', sees the British band offer seven striking and stimulating songs.
The 27-minute record bursts into life with 'Galactica'. Although the upbeat track has a moderately mild sound in comparison to older songs, BSR's punk-rock fundamentals are still present, with choppy guitars and ballsy vocals both making an appearance.
A very similar style can be heard on 'Porcine Cranium', which superbly showcases the vivacious vocals of both Jake Hitchcock and Joe Ings. With its fast-paced verses and melodic chorus, the tremendous track is reminiscent of Canadian punk band Billy Talent.
Bull See Red go back to basics on 'Benirras', the unforeseen song, which sees the four-piece transform themselves from pungent punk rockers to mellow musicians, is extremely enjoyable.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, 'Chinatown Part 2' picks up the pace again as the EP comes to a close. The last two tracks that are featured on the record are from the band's back catalogue ('Chinatown' and 'Knee High Genocide') and have simply been revamped as live versions. Yet, despite both songs sounding pretty snazzy and highlighting that the band sound superb on stage, there's undeniably going to be a few irked fans who were hoping for more brand new material (myself being one of them).
However, frustrations aside, Bull See Red have once again delivered a dynamic and driven release, but similarly to 'Chinatown Part 1' the record comes and goes far too quickly. The quirky quartet have a lot of talent and I think it's safe to say that I won't be the only one praying that the band's next release is a full-length!