A couple of years ago, the UK rock scene was buoyant, with Hundred Reasons, Hell is For Heroes and Idlewild threatening to show those cocky Yanks that there is more to life than cheesy, teen-soap theme tunes and heroin chic.  Then, when the aforementioned bands struggled with “difficult second album” syndrome, it was as an ovine collective that we trudged back to the other side of the pond and took up with our grunge and nu-metal bedfellows once again. 

Thankfully, with the emergence of so much new British talent in the last twelve months, bands like West Yorkshire three-piece Above Them pop up, and once again you can be rightfully proud of the British rock scene.

“You Think You’ve Changed The World”, the opening track here, is the pick of the bunch and deserving of its headlining position.  With a gentle, acoustic start, the constant rasp of Oli Wood’s vocals soon assert themselves over some sporadic and surprisingly mean guitars - there’s even some cowbell in there too, sat brazenly alongside the overlapped, duel vocals.

With second offering “Motion, Inhale, Breathe” there are hints of Above Them turning into Snow Patrol, but as the song soars to its chorus, it’s a Snow Patrol playing like they’ve got a pair, instead of providing dinner party music.  With an increasingly-building wall of guitars juxtaposed by some trusty quiet-loud-quiet moments, these guys know how to play rock guitars but throw in some gentle, more acoustic moments, like Idlewild used to excellent effect on their debut.

“Raise The Game” and “Perfect Like Life” slightly lower the overall standard, as any novelty from the opening two tracks is recycled, but “Scared”, with its thorny guitars, and Hundred Reasons harmonies picks the baton up and charges for the finishing line.

With their influences ranging from American punk and emo, to the bang-up-to date Biffy Clyro and early 90s, lo-fi grime of Done Lying Down, Above Them may not have to hang off the coattails of a resurgence in British rock, they should be right up there at the front.

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Track Listing

You Think You've Changed The World
Motion, Inhale, Breathe
Raise The Game
Scared
Perfect Like Life

Line Up

Oli Wood - Vocals/Guitars
Mark Young - Bass
Tom Robinson - Drums