Its indie rock..exactly like you know it.
It’s always a worry when the track-listing tells you there are four songs to listen to but it all just seems like one big medley. For a new band it can be tricky to work out how best to pace any introductory material to a first time listener. If the songs all sound similar, there is a strong chance that the group will be passed off as one trick ponies and left to wither in the dirt like so many lost and forgotten bands before them. Conversely, if the band packs in too much variety and scope into their early releases, there can be a dilution of their talent and less people will get into them stalling their progress and leaving them to wither in the dirt like so many lost and forgotten bands before them.
Allegro clearly decided to not risk the “give them a bit of variety” approach with their Allegro Forever ep as every song is hewn from the same fuzzy and jangly guitar mix with the vocals of a slightly strangulated mongoose lying over the top of it. It’s a unique sound that is likely to get them some fans but may also get them into trouble with the RSPCA so hopefully when the boys head out on tour they can escape the clutches of the animal protectors.
To be honest, if they burst into a gig and tried to make a citizens arrest it could well make things a little bit more interesting as unfortunately, Allegro don’t have anything here that hasn’t been peddled in recent times by an abundance of bands. Being young should be about having fun, grabbing a guitar and making a racket but its hard to get excited by this, even though the band and their fans will no doubt be getting a huge kick from it.
The production is a bit fuzzy but it lets the vocals stand out and the songs are all punchy enough, albeit lacking in any memorable chorus. They try hard to inject some memorable moments to proceedings but you could walk away from this release and be unable to recite any more than a riff here or a yelp there. Hopefully the band wont give up and can use this as a platform to develop more exciting moments because the energy and rush they show is probably going to develop into an enjoyable evening out but there is a lot of work to be done on the way.