I love the name (I assume a bastardisation of Don Quixote’s mate) but in many ways that’s about all. This really isn’t my scene and I don’t suppose that I’m in the demographic for this release but in saying that hopefully some constructive criticism can’t be unleashed. 

There are six songs on this mini album and most of them just aren’t memorable enough or good enough to climb out of their generic limitations. 18-30 Overture kicks things off and it has to be said that Adam Tildsley’s guitar work is very fine as it is throughout but the last quarter of the song meanders to a close. I’ve never been a great fan of depressing lyrics but I’m sure that the large emo kid crowd will lap up stuff like, “it worries me that it is too late for me.” 

High Speed Operation is more towards the screamo end of the market and to my ears lacks direction and indeed tune and didn’t grab me in any way, shape or form. I Am The People again features an excellent guitar sound but also has somewhat murky vocals. This song is about the cult of celebrity, a subject ripe for exploitation and to be fair this is one of the better tracks on offer and shows that Sancho Panzer have some potential dying to be realised. 

Mandarin is a song that follows generic conventions to a t. It’s quiet and slow then the guitars crash in – it’s OK but nothing special. No Appeal is a gift for a lazy reviewer like me but I am going to resist the temptation to do the obvious and say that it hasn’t got any appeal but again the band show that they can play but are held back by their lack of killer tunes. Palomino rounds things off in a fairly pleasant undemanding background music type of day and therein lies the ultimate problem with this album. 

There’s some room for optimism on A Current Archetype but on balance I’d suggest that the casual music fan may wish to wait until the band really gain some individuality and a unique style of their own.

Let us know your views on 'A Current Archetype'

Track List

18-30 Overture
High Speed Operation
I Am The People
Mandarin
No Appeal
Palomino

Line Up

Alister - vocals
Adam - Guitar/vocals
Jules - Drums
Jon - bass