7 Day Weekend
You might have seen Northern lads 7 Day Weekend rocking their support slots with names like Feeder and Attack! Attack! If you haven't heard of them before, then now would be a good time to start listening.
This self-titled EP is instantly hooking and captivating, taking no prisoners with its brooding sound, and Calan Nickle's silky smooth vocals. The eerie chanting that closes Ghosts of Me is a nice dark touch, but it's far from being a monotonous emo affair. The majority of the tracks follow the same pattern, Mistakes and Hide particularly standing out with their moody yet gripping riffage, and Nickle's stunning vocal work. Parts do become so intense that it verges on being almost too moody, but it's a gripping effect all the same.
The latter end of the EP provides us with some acoustic versions of the songs already included. Though including these stripped versions of their songs is somewhat of a let-down, the band's capabilities are nonetheless strongly highlighted despite the acoustic versions being much less haunting and spine-tingling. The acoustic numbers could have easily been used as B-sides, and really slow the dynamics down a bit. The heavier, moodier tracks are definitely the backbone of the album as the powerful riffs, rumbling bass and thundering drums shine through much brighter than they do in the acoustic numbers.
7 Day Weekend seem to be a lot more than a mere two-dimensional rock band; they are in fact a force to be reckoned with. The band's sound is very mature considering they've only been at it for two years, and the future looks very bright for them. The first half of the EP is by far more riveting, but it's a great listen none-the-less. It's bands like these that make me proud to be Northern.