Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

A modern pop EP with bags of energy, it kicks off with a chorus ("Heaven") so hi-NRG it threatened my speakers. This EP has a magnificent production ethic: everything is there for a purpose - that opening, the bass line in "One In A Million", the Beatles-ish keyboard on "Tired Of LA", the Queen-like bassline on "Man I Used To Know", the falsetto "All Right!" on "Supernatural"; they're all there to lead your ears into the song and make sure they don't leave. There are riffs and flicks all over the place, making this far more sonically interesting than me calling it "modern pop" might lead you to believe. But is it more than a glossy surface (albeit one that's several inches thick)? It certainly is. The songwriting and performance are top notch. Modern pop, of course, survives on two things: the chorus (very singable, especially "One In A Million") and whether it makes you want to dance (not me, but I can easily visualise others doing so). The overall sound reminded me a lot of Tears For Fears (production), early Take That (melodies) and Thomas Dolby (the way they use the keyboards) - very '80s stylistically, but brought bang up to date sonically giving rise to comparisons with the likes of Jason Derulo and The Wanted. I found it never let up and craved for a breather - others may be glad it never dips.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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