Reviewed by Rob Worthington

NSC have made demo recordings in the past but 'Anointed' is their first professionally recorded material. The result is this fresh-sounding four-track EP. Lead singer Miriam's vocals have a slight girlish edge to them and they combine interestingly with the band's heavily distorted guitar sound; the effect is impressively cohesive. I enjoyed all four tracks on offer here but will mention two in particular: opening track "Anointed" conveys a sense of fun with its fast stop-start guitar riff and reminded me a little of Dakoda Motor Co. By way of contrast is the ballad "Calvary". This is an ambitious subject to tackle and one which is difficult to write about without being trite. The band has successfully created a song whose melody is both plaintive and memorable with lyrics which give a sincere expression of gratitude. This is a satisfying debut from NSC and one I can recommend.

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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