#184: Landmarks - Running on Empty (EP review)

Manchester isn't a city synonymous with punk in the same way it is with other genres, northern soul for instance, indie for another. That isn't to say it hasn't seen a certain degree of talent emerge from the city, perhaps most famously were Buzzcocks for example, or Sonic Boom Six more recently. And while it's fair to say that Manchester is, above all, a city with it's musical heritage lying mainly at the feet of the indie contingency, it would be unfair to dismiss other artists simply because they don't adhere to one's own musical expectations. One such band eschewing the stereotype are Landmarks, a five piece pop-punk outfit who's fast and furious blend of gang-chant vocals and skate-punk guitars are filling a void left open by the complete lack of this kind music within Manchester.

Having been a band since late 2011, it's surprising to see that new 6 track EP Running On Empty is also the band's first. Take that as you will, but the fact of the matter is that the lads in Landmarks have spent those two years honing their skills and making a name for themselves, helped in no small part through a constant stream of high profile support slots for the likes of Such Gold and Hot Damn to name but two.

From opener 'Backpacks and Train-tracks' it's clear that the band posses the youthful energy pivotal to making this kind of music believable. From the chugging guitars to the call-and-response vocals, everything here is quintessentially pop-punk and we're not talking New Found Glory or Simple Plan pop-punk here. It absolutely smacks of bands such as Set Your Goals or The Story So Far , and, put simply, it's infectious.

Gang-chants have always been a seminal part of pop-punk convention and this is something that Landmarks excel at, particularly on third track and first single “Better Men Have Tried and Failed”. From the word go, the band utilise gang-chants to create a huge sense of anthemics, this, coupled with the self-deprecating lyricism makes for a furiously emotive addition to the record. You can almost see the circle-pits forming.

Final track 'Growing Pains' exhibits the most candour of all the six tracks featured and is a memorable way to close Running on Empty. The bass that runs throughout is indicative of early Blink-182 whilst the shared vocal duties only seem to add to the emotion of the track. It's a fine example of just what the band are capable of, and one which leaves listeners clamouring for more.

Having been a fan of pop-punk from an early age, it's not only fantastic to be able to bare witness to the calibre of bands coming up at the moment globally, but to know that there's (at the very least) the beginnings of a scene formulating in Manchester is brilliant. And, if indeed there is a scene formulating, then Landmarks deserve to spearhead it. If not for their irresistible pop hooks and takes-no-prisoners gang-chants, then surely for their insatiable gigging and work ethic. They might not be breaking boundaries with what they do, but it's only a matter of time before Landmarks are breaking hearts, after all, what else do skinny boys in pop-punk bands do?

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This review was orignally written for Punktastic. Click here to see what else they've been up to.

#150: A Few Too Many - Escape to LA (single review)

Pop-punk is a genre that has been maligned as much as it has been celebrated; even the most stringent of fans can come to blows over what can and can't be considered as such. Like most contested genres though, the idea of what is and isn't pop-punk, is purely subjective and thus it falls at the feet of any given listeners personal musical background to define what they consider to be an apt depiction of the genre. One band, however, who shouldn't have too much trouble in this area, is Essex-based A Few Too Many whose energetic and explosive blend of Anglo innocence and American self-deprecation is completely and unequivocally pop-punk.

2012 saw the band release their début EP Saint, Sinner, Winner, a record that was met with generally favourable reviews and was quickly followed up by a music video for the EP's eponymous title track. Now, almost a year after their EP release, A Few Too Many are back with their new single 'Escape to LA', a sun-bleached and upbeat affair that yearns for the Californian streets of it's namesake.

At three-and-a-half minutes long, 'Escape to LA' falls perfectly in to generic pop-punk territory and fans of bands such as New Found Glory or Simple Plan will positively reel with excitement as the first chords and cymbal crashes burst forth from one's speakers, whilst those who prefer their pop-punk with a little more snot and sneer will probably opt to dust off their Descendants or Ergs records than delve further. That shouldn't deter any interest one may have though; scratch away at the charm and the innocence, and what you'll find is a quintet of musicians who are harbouring barrels of potential. And while there are the occasional cracks in the band's youthful veneer, it's this potential, along with their energy, that plugs those cracks and keeps the good ship Many afloat. Further to this, whilst many of the UK's up-and-coming pop-punk acts are opting to move more towards the genres heavier elements (and we can thank You Me At Six for that), A Few Too Many are embracing the genre as it was fifteen years ago, and while it won't give you the same sense of frisson that hearing the opening chords of Green Day's Dookie or Blink-182's Dude Ranch did, there is absolutely every chance that AFTM will go on to put out a record that holds the same cultural impact as the aforementioned, albeit for generations yet to come.

Pop-punk is a genre that will always pull at my heart-strings and beg me to dust of my Converse and start up a circle pit, and I'm sure it's the same for thousands of others. The genre might not be basking in the limelight like it once did, but it will always have a place in the hearts of aficionados. This, coupled with the fact that the UK is still producing bands that want to make this kind of music, should assure both the band, and pop-punk naysayers alike, that the future of pop-punk, and the futures all those helping build it, AFTM included, are looking very rosy indeed.

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This review was originally written for Ears On, click here to see what else they've been up to.